Land use in England – there is more developed land than you might think!
- rpwills
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Those who support extra development in England use data, which they suggest indicates that there is plenty of spare land, which could and should be developed. They assume that any undeveloped land is empty, unused and available for development ignoring the fact that the land is already being used either for food production, forestry, natural land, rough grassland and water. The UK already imports about half of its food and water is becoming a scarce commodity.
The table below sets out land use by category in 2022. Data is based on Land Use Statistics from official sources. The table indicates the sub-categories and main categories and then the two broad categories. The broad categories are developed land and undeveloped/green countryside. Developed land consists of core-developed land – which is the status that is usually cited plus auxiliary developed land.
Core developed land includes residential, commercial, transport and miscellaneous developed areas. Auxiliary developed land is that within the built up area such as recreation areas, gardens and other urban uses. All of this land is developed in the sense that it has been altered to a greater or lesser extent.
Together these areas cover 16.8% of the land surface with 83.2% being countryside either farmed, woodland or natural land.
Category | Hectares | % share of total |
Community service | 95690 | 0.7 |
Defence | 127 | 0.0 |
Industry and commerce | 48654 | 0.4 |
Minerals and landfill | 9499 | 0.1 |
Residential | 164212 | 1.3 |
Transport and utilities | 573316 | 4.4 |
Unknown developed use | 245863 | 1.9 |
Core developed land | 1137361 | 8.7 |
Recreation and gardens | 915082 | 7.0 |
Other urban land | 136166 | 1.0 |
Auxiliary developed land | 1051248 | 8.1 |
All developed | 2188609 | 16.8 |
Agriculture | 8235029 | 63.1 |
Forest, open land and water | 2622532 | 20.1 |
Countryside | 10857561 | 83.2 |
Total | 13046170 | 100.0 |
Conclusion
More land is actually developed than most people imagine. The area included as countryside performs a number of important and crucial functions. It has to be noted that the value for wildlife of those areas included as countryside varies with some areas of low environmental value. Intensively farmed areas and moors used for game shooting spring to mind. What are needed are policies to improve and enhance such areas increasing biodiversity and landscape.
Source
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Land use statistics: England 2022, Published 27 October 2022.
Table 405b: Land Use: England, Regions and Lower Super Output Areas - total land area by usage type (hectares), 2022.
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