Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land in Greater London enjoy the highest level of protection from development. These protections, put in place many years ago, have ensured that London has not sprawled into the countryside, that derelict areas have been used for development instead of green field sites, and that Londoners have access to green spaces within and close to London.
This report highlights a number of threats to London's Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land and what Londoners stand to lose. It examines the reasons for the sharp increase in planning permissions and the actions needed to halt the loss of London's protected green spaces.