Read the texts and match the heading to the texts. There is one that you do not need to use.
Write one number in each gap.
The main aim of the green belt
The location of green belts in the UK
The reason for green belt development
Creating new ecological problems
[ ]
A. The green belt in England was estimated to account for some 16,158 km2 at the end of March 2020. This total area of green belt land remains largely unchanged from the equivalent figure in 2005. The green belt in England is currently concentrated around 15 separate urban areas. The largest green belt is around London, but similar circles also exist around many cities in the UK.
[ ]
B. The purpose of the green belt is avoiding urban sprawl, however, many specialists argue that the green belt has not stopped growth, it has just pushed it further out into rural areas not defined as green belt. In South Cambridgeshire, 19,000 new homes are to be built but all of them beyond the green belt that surrounds the city of Cambridge. Many residents of new houses built beyond green belts will end up commuting further to work, creating more traffic and emitting more pollution.
[ ]
C. Although many people agree that the green belt should be protected, this land is being built on. The reason is a simple one — housing. The British government does not have enough affordable housing in this country to cope with the number of people who need it. Normally, green belt land can only be built on in "exceptional circumstances", but the scale of the current housing crisis is enough for authorities to grant using green belt land for housing exceptional status.