Cumbria county council has welcomed moves to free up rural land for affordable homes.
The council has prepared its response to the government consultation on changes to the PPG3 planning guidance, which closes at the end of this month.

It praised the ODPM's decision to allow rural councils to designate green belt sites solely for affordable housing. Currently this can only happen on an ad-hoc basis when developers come forward with specific plans.

Maxine Bodell, the council's strategic planner, said: "It's a very good move that we can use to plan positively."

The first changes came into effect last Friday. The time limit for lodging an appeal against a listed building or conservation area consent was cut from six months to three months after the initial decision.

Source

Housing Today