Policy information sourced from Barnet’s Local Plan Development Management Policies

DM15: Green Belt and Open Spaces

Green Belt/Metropolitan Open Land

  1. Development proposals in Green Belt are required to comply with the NPPF (paras 79 to 92). In line with the London Plan the same level of protection given to Green Belt land will be given to Metropolitan Open Land (MOL).
  2. Except in very special circumstances, the council will refuse any development in the Green Belt or MOL which is not compatible with their purposes and objectives and does not maintain their openness.
  3. The construction of new buildings within the Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land, unless there are very special circumstances, will be inappropriate, except for the following purposes:
    • Agriculture, horticulture and woodland;
    • Nature conservation and wildlife use; or
    • Essential facilities for appropriate uses will only be acceptable where they do not have an adverse impact on the openness of Green Belt or MOL.
  4. Extensions to buildings in Green Belt or MOL will only be acceptable where they do not result in a disproportionate addition over and above the size of the original building or an over intensification of the use of the site.
  5. The replacement or re-use of buildings will not be permitted where they would have an adverse impact on the openness of the area or the purposes of including land in Green Belt or MOL.
  6. Development adjacent to Green Belt/MOL should not have a detrimental impact on visual amenity and respect the character of its surroundings

Open Spaces

  1. Open space will be protected from development. In exceptional circumstances loss of open space will be permitted where the following can be satisfied:
    • The development proposal is a small scale ancillary use which supports the use of the open space or
    • Equivalent or better quality open space provision can be made.
    Any exception will need to ensure that it does not create further public open space deficiency and has no significant impact on biodiversity.
  2. In areas which are identified as deficient in public open space, where the development site is appropriate or the opportunity arises the council will expect on site provision in line with the standards set out in the supporting text (para 16.3.6).

For more information please see Barnet’s Local Plan Development Management Policies