Editing Doncaster (section)

====Green belt====
{{further|South and West Yorkshire Green Belt}}
Doncaster is within a [[Green belt (United Kingdom)|green belt]] that extends into the surrounding counties. First defined in 1966,<ref name="belt1" /> the policy is controlled throughout the town by the [[local planning authority]], City of Doncaster Council. It reduces [[urban sprawl]], prevent areas in the conurbation from further convergence, protects outlying communities, encourages [[brownfield]] reuse, and protects nearby countryside by restricting development in the designated areas and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building.<ref name="belt1">{{cite web |last1=Council |first1=Doncaster |title=Green Belt review – Doncaster Council |url=http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/green-belt-review |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |access-date=4 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322143508/http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/green-belt-review |archive-date=22 March 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

It surrounds the side of the urban area west of the East Coast Line, preventing suburbs such as [[Sprotbrough]], [[New Edlington]], [[Old Edlington]], [[Scawsby]] and [[Rossington|New Rossington]] merging. As a result, open rural land can be very close to the town centre at some points (for example the wide undeveloped valley of the River Don is adjacent to the town centre), while at other points the urban sprawl rolls on for up to five miles. Another aim of the green belt is to encourage recreation and leisure interests,<ref name="belt1" /> with rural landscape features, greenfield areas and facilities including the River Don and valley west of Hexthorpe; Hexthorpe Park; [[Cusworth Hall]], museum and country park; Potteric Carr and Huxter Well Marsh; and the [[Trans Pennine Trail]].