Safeguarded Land is land identified in a Local Authority Local Plan evidence documents, between the Green Belt and an urban area, which has been reserved for development purposes beyond the Plan period. Such sites are intended to be extracted from the green fields surrounding an urban area by drawing a boundary to define land that will meet long term development needs and reduce the pressure to amend Green Belt boundaries (see NPPF Para 85)

NPPF - 9 Protecting Green Belt Land - Para 85

When defining boundaries, local planning authorities should:

• ensure consistency with the Local Plan strategy for meeting identified requirements for sustainable development;
• not include land which it is unnecessary to keep permanently open;
• where necessary, identify in their plans areas of ‘safeguarded land’ between the urban area and the Green Belt, in order to meet longer-term development needs stretching well beyond the plan period;
• make clear that the safeguarded land is not allocated for development at the present time. Planning permission for the permanent development of safeguarded land should only be granted following a Local Plan review which proposes the development;
• satisfy themselves that Green Belt boundaries will not need to be altered at the end of the development plan period; and
• define boundaries clearly, using physical features that are readily recognisable and likely to be permanent.