Every council's green belt in England on one map, searchable by postcode. Tap anywhere to see whether it's green belt and what else applies there, or paste a whole list of sites below.
Quick answer
The green belt is land around England's towns and cities where national planning policy holds back building: most new buildings there are inappropriate development, allowed only in very special circumstances. Councils draw the boundaries in their local plans. Since December 2024 national policy also recognises grey belt: green belt land that contributes little to the green belt's purposes, where some development can be appropriate. The green areas on the map are the green belt as councils have published it.
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Or paste one address per line
UK addresses with a postcode, or postcodes on their own. Only the address is used for the check.
National policy gives it five purposes: to check the sprawl of large built-up areas, to stop neighbouring towns merging, to protect the countryside from encroachment, to preserve the setting of historic towns, and to help regeneration by steering building to land already used. Its essential qualities are its openness and its permanence.
Developers and land promoters screening sites, architects and planning consultants before a pre-application, estate agents and buyers looking at land, and anyone weighing up an extension or a new building on the edge of a town. The list checker takes a whole pipeline of sites and gives every constraint for each.
The green belt as councils have designated it, published on planning.data.gov.uk by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Open Government Licence). Boundaries change only when a council adopts a new local plan; check the council's adopted policies map before relying on an edge.
A screening map. The council's adopted local plan policies map is the authority for green belt boundaries.
Is there a green belt map for England?
Yes: this map shows every council's published green belt in England, searchable by postcode, with the other planning constraints at each spot a tap away.
How do I know if my land is in the green belt?
Search the postcode or tap the spot on the map. For a list of sites, paste them into the checker: each comes back in the green belt or not, with every other constraint.
Can you build in the green belt?
Most new buildings there are inappropriate development, allowed only in very special circumstances, though national policy lists exceptions (such as some extensions, replacement buildings and limited infilling), and since December 2024 some development on grey belt land can be appropriate. Ask the council before buying land for development.
What is grey belt?
Green belt land that, under the December 2024 national planning policy, contributes little to the green belt's purposes. It isn't a separate designation on this map: councils assess it case by case.
Can I check a list of sites?
Yes. Paste up to 5,000 addresses or postcodes. The first 25 show straight away; a work email checks the rest and downloads every constraint for each site.
The checker reports every constraint we hold for each site: green belt, conservation area, Article 4, tree preservation orders, listed buildings, flood zone and national landscape. From Claude, the InstaMaps connector checks a whole sheet the same way and writes the answers back into it.