But they are reminiscent of the very movement that brought about the green belt in the first place, with groups like the CPRE lobbying during the 1920s and 1930s for safeguards against urban sprawl and so-called "ribbon" development.

BBC: What would Britain look like without a green belt?

The country had (and has) space to spare, which is why the ribbon of low-rise development is the rule and the skyscraper the exception.

ECONOMIST: They can yet be resurrected | The

It's just a picture of a tartan ribbon and may seem unremarkable, yet it marks a crucial moment in the development of colour photography and forms the basis of the photographs we take today.

BBC: Pioneering colour photography