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The creation of a new land category, called Grey Belt, is presenting councillors on planning committees with a complex maze of new concepts to navigate. Grey Belt land is defined as "land in the Green Belt comprising previously developed land and/or any other land" that does "not strongly contribute to any of a set of specific purposes.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework, which brings into force the concept of Grey Beit, lists five purposes of the Green Belt, which protects Claygate from becoming consumed by urban sprawl. They are: to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another; to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging recycling of derelict and other urban land.

But Green Belt land that only safeguards the countryside from encroachment or could be used to encourage the recycling of derelict land is now classed as Grey Belt and could be built on. Other categories of specially protected land, plus areas subject to flooding or coastal changes, are also safeguarded, while not being designated as Grey Belt.

This begs the question as to what "not strongly contributing to Green Belt purposes means. For this. there is the Green Belt Guidance issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This advises planning authorities that areas performing strongly in preventing the sprawl of large built up areas (such as Greater London) are "likely to be free of existing development, and lack physical feature(s) in reasonable proximity that could restrict and contain development". They are also likely to be adjacent to or near a large built-up area; and, if developed, would create an incongruous pattern of development, such as an extended "finger" of development into the Green Belt.

Amid all this complexity, the Parish Council remains "opposed to any reduction in the designated Green Belt and to any proposed development that detracts from its amenity value".

The concept of Grey Belt is clearly designed to justify the release of some areas of Green Belt for development. This is a prospect likely to be faced by most planning authorities outside London, dealing with massive increases in their housing targets, Government policy on housing seems demand-driven, with little consideration given to the supply side, such as availability of land and skilled tradesmen to build houses.