The rules protecting the green belt can be changed through a written ministerial statement instructing planning officers how they should interpret the “very special circumstances” in which building on the green belt is allowed under the current rules. Under the previous Tory government, ministers had given guidance to local planning officers that the value of new homes “is unlikely to outweigh harm to the green belt”. The Labour Government is likely to introduce the grey belt by a change to this guidance in order to encourage local planning authorities to grant more approvals for the development of green (now grey) belt land.