THE RURAL BELT
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR, —In the article headed " Country Life," which appeared in your issue of July 12th, Sir William Beach Thomas stated, " it is much to be regretted that the garden cities have rejected the ideal of an agricultural belt.' It was much advert ised in the early days, but invariably, so far as my experience goes, vanished before the demand of the builders."
This is not, of course in accordance with facts. The agri- cultural belt has always been and still remains an essential of the true Garden City. The definition adopted by the Garden Cities and Town Planning Association, and which appears at the head of their notepaper, is " A Garden City is a town designed for healthy living and industry ; of a size that makes possible a full ❑measure of social life, but not larger ; surrounded by a rural belt ; the whole of the land being in public owner- ship, or held in trust for the community."
Moreover, in Mr. Warren's recently published book on " Decentralization of Industry and Population," the definition is repeated in the chapter written by Captain Reiss, who further states, " The size to which the town may grow is definitely limited by the reservation of a permanent belt of rural land surrounding it. It is of the essence of the idea that this limitation of size should be envisaged from the start, and while the precise boundaries of the rural belt may be varied in detail to meet circumstances which may arise which were not foreseen, yet the main principle of the limitation of the town and the maintenance of the rural belt must remain throughout."
This has been proved at Letchworth. Out of the total area of 4,500 acres, about 3,000 acres have been definitely reserved for the rural belt, an increase of over 500 acres since the estate was purchased in 1903, and recently enlarged by the addition of a further 112 acres. The rural belt is utilized part in open spaces and playing fields and part for farming.—I am, Sir, [The subject is discussed at some length in " Country Life " in this number. It was not denied that the agricultural belt was a part of the definition of a garden city. The criticism referred to the qualification of the ideal in practice. " Open spaces and playing fields " arc not agriculturc.—En. Spectator.]
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