The North East Green Belt, also known as the Tyne & Wear Green Belt, is a non-statutory green belt environmental and planning policy that regulates the rural space in part of the North East region of England. It is centred on the county of Tyne and Wear,[1][2][3][4] with areas of green belt extending into Northumberland[5] and County Durham.[6] It functions to protect surrounding towns and villages outside the Tyneside/Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Wearside/Sunderland conurbations from further convergence.[7] This is managed by local planning authorities on guidance from central government.