England has enough suitable brownfield land to build almost a million new homes, campaigners say.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) says over 400,000 homes could be built on previously developed land, which already has outline or detailed planning permission, with a further 550,000 more on vacant or derelict land that does not have planning permission.

Almost half (44%) of the vacant space is located in the South East, East of England and London.

Could be more

In total, the report identifies enough brownfield land for 976,000 homes providing the country with a four-year supply of new housing even if no other land is used.

However, the CPRE says the figure does not include underused land such as car parks which could  also be used for housing.

Some brownfield sites have been identified as important wildlife hotspots for creatures such as rare beetles, but the CPRE says new research suggests just 8% of brownfield land is important habitat, leaving plenty for development.

The campaign group is concerned that new national planning rules do not prioritise brownfield development, which means Green Belt and greenfield land is being built on instead.

Barriers

Barriers to developing brownfield land include the costs of providing local infrastructure, difficulties for small and medium-sized builders trying to get into the market, the availability of cheaper greenfield sites and the lack of accurate data on brownfield land, the report says.

The group is now calling for the reintroduction of a clear and consistent ‘brownfield first’ policy, along with other measures to boost use of previously developed land.

These could include giving the Homes and Communities Agency greater powers and resources to develop large and difficult sites, a proactive approach to identifying brownfield land and incentives for smaller building firms to develop smaller sites.

Paul Miner, planning campaign manager at the CPRE, says that everything must be done to get these sites redeveloped, whether it be reviving the National Land Use Database or implementing strong local plans to deal with multiple landowners on difficult sites.

Housing and planning minister Brandon Lewis welcomed the report , saying it illustrated the scope for building new homes and protecting the countryside.

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