Read the passage given below and answer the following questions carefully.

Greenbelt land refers to an area that is kept in reserve for an open space, most often around larger cities. The main purpose of the greenbelt policy is to protect the land around larger urban centres from urban sprawl, and maintain the designated area for forestry and agriculture as well as to provide habitat to wildlife. Greenbelt offers a number of benefits for both urban and rural population. By preventing the urban sprawl, it helps protect agricultural activities and the unique character of rural communities. Urban population, on the other hand, is provided with an access to clean air and an open space which offers opportunities for outdoor activities.

Areas that are designated as greenbelt must not be used for building structures because the greenbelt is defined as an open space, however, that does not mean that no buildings can be erected in this area. Buildings for agricultural uses and sanitation facilities, for instance, are usually allowed. In some cases, it is also possible to change the use of land in the greenbelt area and even gain permission for structures that are officially not allowed in the greenbelt. However, such cases are very rare and the local authorities grant permission for the same only if no suitable site for the building can be found in the urban centre or outside the greenbelt and there is an accessible business electricity source in the area.

By checking the urbanisation of the countryside, greenbelt areas helped save the rural communities from being absorbed by large urban centres as well as helped preserve the unique landscape which offers many benefits to the urban population as well. Access to an open space provides a number of recreational and educational opportunities, while the physical barrier between urban areas and the countryside improves air quality in the urban centres. In addition, the strips of land that are kept as open space help preserve the unique character of smaller historic towns because they prevent the smaller towns from becoming suburbs of larger urban centres and from merging with the neighbouring towns. At the same time, the restrictions in the use of greenbelt land have forced better land use within the urban areas surrounded by greenbelt land.

Due to a number of benefits of the greenbelt policy, the UK government encourages local authorities to include greenbelt land in their developmental plans. The policy has not shown equally effective results in all areas; however, time has shown that greenbelt policy has more advantages than disadvantages especially when it comes to protection of the countryside and improving quality of life for both rural and urban population. Its success in nature conservation depends on the use of the greenbelt land as some areas that are used for agricultural purposes did not achieve the same level of success as areas that are used for forestry, for instance.

The Campaign for Protection of Rural England (CPRE) which played an important role in the implementation of the greenbelt policy warns against any revision of current boundaries. However, it seems that the greenbelt policy may need revision in the future to meet the needs of the housing growth despite a number of positive effects it has on the environment and nearby population because the city population in the UK is expected to continue to grow.