Some local councils are to push forwards plans to use more derelict and underused land for new homes in Britain. 73 councils across the UK will pilot a new brownfield register, which will give house builders up to date and publicly available information on brownfield sites available for local housing.
Identification
Communities Secretary Greg Clark believes that these registers will assist house builders in finding suitable sites more quickly. This in turn will speed up the construction of new homes, and will also allow communities to flag up local sites for listing.
In some cases, this will include derelict building and eyesores that are earmarked for redevelopment and could attract investment to the area.
The Government has already pledged to provide one million more homes and to put planning permission in place on 90% of suitable sites for housing. This new move underlines commitment to building on brownfield land.
Ambition
Mr Clark said that, ‘a key part of our ambition to build a million homes is to get work started on brownfield sites across the country, many of which are currently nothing more than blight on a community’s landscape.’[1]
‘These councils will be at the forefront of these efforts to list land and encourage builders to deliver new homes for aspiring home owners. But this is just the first step and I would urge councils to continue to offer up brownfield sites to deliver the homes their residents want and need,’ he continued.[1]
Guidance
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis explained that all councils taking part in these pilots will set the precedent for future Government policy on the operation of brownfield registers.
Lewis noted, ‘registers will eventually become mandatory for all councils under proposals going through Parliament in the Housing and Planning Bill.’[1] He also said other measures in the Bill will enable permission to be given for housing led development sites noted on the brownfield registers.
Pilot to utilise brownfield land for housing begins
Councils
Every council taking part in the pilot scheme will get £10,000 in Government funding to help establish their registers.
The 15 councils with the most brownfield land taking part in the register pilot project are:
- Cherwell
- County Durham
- Huntingdonshire
- Leeds
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Medway
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Peterborough
- Selby
- Sheffield
- South Cambridgeshire
- Sunderland
- Tonbridge and Malling
- Wigan
[1] http://www.propertywire.com/news/europe/uk-derelict-underused-land-2016031511674.html