The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) reported last week that many small brownfield sites are failing to be recorded, and that these sites could provide space for an additional 188,734 homes across England.
In his autumn budget, Chancellor Philip Hammond set out a proposal that 20% of new homes should be built on small sites, saying, “Brownfield and urban land (should) be used as efficiently as possible for housing development.”
Every local planning authority is due to publish an accurate and up-to-date register of brownfield sites that are available and suitable for development by 31 December 2017.
These will be used by developers and community groups looking to find land on which to build homes.
The CPRE says that the Government needs to amend brownfield policy and guidance to encourage the identification of the full range of appropriate brownfield sites for housing if that aim is to be met. Rebecca Pullinger, CPRE’s Planning Campaigner said, “Up and down the country tens of thousands of small brownfield sites are not included in Brownfield Land Registers and their housing development potential missed. The current system of collecting this data must be improved if we are to unlock the potential of brownfield, and stop developers finding an excuse to build on greenfield areas.”
