the green belt surrounds the huddersfield built-up area, separating towns and villages throughout the borough. larger outlying communities such as upper hopton, grange moor, highburton, farnley tyas, netherton, honley, outlane, slaithwaite, wellhouse are also exempt from the green belt area. however, nearby smaller villages, hamlets and rural areas such as thurgory, gawthorpe green, bog green, upper heaton, wilberlee, south crosland, rushfield bridge, and bank end are 'washed over' by the designation. much semi-rural land on the fringes is also included. the green belt was defined from the 1960s, and the total area in kirklees amounted to some (2017, excluding the peak district national park), 70% of the borough.