The Government has called for the thousands of available brownfield development sites to be given priority in Local Plans.

New guidance will call for the selling of surplus brownfield land for redevelopment and the introduction of more flexible planning rights so empty and underused buildings can be brought back into productive use.

New homes

Ministers believe that support for new housing is now growing with communities welcoming development if it is built in the right place and does not ignore local needs.

The National Land Use Database from 2009 showed that there were 14,000ha of previously developed land vacant or derelict and ‘suitable for housing’ – around 675,000 units worth.

It is hoped the guidance will safeguard local areas against urban sprawl and protect the green lungs around towns and cities. It says that, once established, green belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional cases, through the preparation or review of the Local Plan.

Ministers said that housing need does not justify the harm done to the green belt by inappropriate development.

Protecting the belt

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “This government has been very clear that when planning for new buildings, protecting our precious green belt must be paramount.

“Local people don’t want to lose their countryside to urban sprawl, or see the vital green lungs around their towns and cities to unnecessary development.

“This guidance will ensure councils can meet their housing needs by prioritising brownfield sites, and fortify the green belt in their area.”

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said: “We have put Local Plans at the heart of the reformed, planning system, so councils and local people can now decide where development should and shouldn’t go.

“That’s why 230,000 planning permissions were granted by councils in the last year alone, while the most recent official statistics show that green belt development is at its lowest rate since modern records began in 1989.”

Suitability

However, there is suggestion from the Home Builders Federation that not all brownfield sites are suitable for housing.

The Federation said that, while the industry has been building 80% of homes on brownfield land in recent years and is happy to build on these sites, they are not always suitable or viable.

Brownfield development is also often expensive and technically difficult, and the HBF suggest that local opposition to brownfield development can be just as strong as for greenfield sites.

For more information, contact one of our planning experts.