Land Use Resources
Our land is under greater pressure than ever before. The Community Planning Alliance believes that a land use strategy to manage these pressures is imperative. We were delighted that Baroness Young of Scone mentioned the ‘pressure cooker’ effect, that is illustrated by our Grassroots Map, in a House of Lords debate in the autumn of 2021 soon after we first created it. We support all efforts for an effective land use strategy across the whole country in order to recognise the multifunctional nature of land and how its uses can be coordinated.
Map of Planning data for England - courtesy of GOV.UK
Planning Data is a trial government site that aims to make land and housing data easier to find, use and trust.
Their aim is that this sharing of information will lead to:
- better planning decisions
- fewer uncertainties and delays in the housing system
- more new digital services for property and planning
- better relationships between communities and developments
Magic Interactive Mapping - courtesy of DEFRA
Land Use Framework - courtesy of DEFRA
In January 2025 the Government consulted on their vision for land use in England and how to deliver it. The consultation responses then informed the development of a Land Use Framework, which was released in March 2026.
CPA prepared a short briefing document and a longer form response answering all the 24 questions asked by DEFRA in its consultation.
DEFRA followed the Land Use Framework in June 2026 with a Farming Roadmap 2050, which was designed to bring the government’s long-term strategies, reforms and commitments for farming together in one place. It met with mixed reviews.
Link: CPA Briefing
Link: CPA Full Response
A multi functional Land Use Framework - courtesy of the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission
The Food, Farming & Countryside Commission is an independent charity, set up in 2017 to help shape the future of food, farming, and the countryside.
Map of Green Belt by Constituency - courtesy of House of Commons Library
An interactive dashboard providing statistics on land designated as Green Belt for parliamentary constituencies in England.
A Green Belt is a designated area of countryside around urban settlements that is protected from development to prevent urban sprawl. Development in these areas is restricted and generally only permitted under very special circumstances.
This link provides data on the number of hectares of green belt land in each parliamentary constituency in England on 31 March 2025. The proportion of the total land area of the constituency this represents is also shown.
If your constituency is not shown, then it has no Green Belt.
Housing Market Data - courtesy of BuiltPlace
Where to Build - courtesy of Warwick University
Where to Build is an online mapping tool developed by Warwick University designed to to provide evidence to local and national decision makers and stakeholders about where housing is most needed, and to empower them to make more informed decisions. Decades of planning targets haven’t solved the UK’s housing problems, with demand outstripping supply and prices and rents becoming increasingly unaffordable. This research finds that new homes are increasingly being built in areas with low demand, poor access to jobs, and limited amenities.
Providing geographically detailed results on excess housing demand and how to meet it at national, local authority and neighbourhood level, the tool draws on data from 20 billion housing searches together with a full history of sales and rental listings from 2019–2024.
National Food Strategy - courtesy of DEFRA
Do you have or know of any resources that should be included in this library? If so, please contact us today!