Berrys successfully promoted a site adjoining the Yorkshire town of Wombwell through the Local Plan process, achieving its removal from the Barnsley Green Belt in 2019. It is now designated as land safeguarded to meet future development needs.
We demonstrated to the Council that the site made little contribution to the purposes of the Green Belt and that its removal from the Green Belt would not harm the separation of Wombwell from Barnsley, or harm the wider countryside setting of the town. The loss of Green Belt was justified by being able to provide a suitable site in a highly sustainable location, being located close to a railway station, schools, shops and facilities. Although the Council had plenty of other sites to meet immediate needs, they removed the site from the Green Belt and designated it as ‘safeguarded land’ to meet future development needs, lining it up for allocation for development in the next Local Plan in 5-10 years’ time.