Planners are calling for a review of the role and operation of green belts as the debate over where to build new homes continues to rage.<p></p><p>Both the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Town and Country Planning Association have stepped into the fray in recent days. A new RTPI report, Modernising green belts, says green belts should not be considered sacrosanct and should be considered as possible locations for new housing developments. The report argues that unless green belts are rethought then developments will have to leapfrog into countryside which does not have the infrastructure to support new developments.</p><p>&amp;“This is not urban sprawl,&amp;” said RTPI president Michael Haslam. &amp;“We are talking about properly planned urban expansion.&amp;”</p><p>TCPA chairman David Lock has joined the debate arguing that the green belt idea needs refining. </p><p>&amp;“We now have dormitory towns and villages embedded in the green belt unable to attract jobs, or provide more homes to support local schools and shops,&amp;” he said. </p><p> &amp;“Residents are forced to commute long distances to work; this is unsustainable and puts a strain on family life.&amp;”</p><p></p>