Brownfield Homes Building on Previously Developed Land. Stephen Sykes Partner Castle Debates Managing Partner, Sykes Environmental LLP

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Lewis Osborne
5 years ago
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1 Brownfield Homes Building on Previously Developed Land Stephen Sykes Partner Castle Debates Managing Partner, Sykes Environmental LLP

2 What is brownfield land? Is it an answer to our housing deficit? What is Government doing to make it easier to build on brownfield land? Will it work?

3 What is Brownfield Land Previously developed land that it is not of high environmental value (NPPF, para 17) Brownfield land may be contaminated and / or derelict: e.g. petrol stations, waste disposal sites, docks, railway land, industrial sites

4 Housing Numbers (1) UK projected population: 73.7M by 2037 (ONS). 4M new homes required by 2037 Estimates from 200,000 to 1.8M new homes could be built on brownfield. CPRE estimate 1M excluding underused land (e.g. car parks) and new brownfield land that will become available. So, brownfield could be 25% of the answer

5 Housing Numbers (2) 1M new homes needed between 2011 and 2014: only 450,000 built (NHF) We are building fewer than half new homes needed

6 Differences of opinion Brownfield land isn t always suitable for development, it s mostly not where we need new houses, and the stuff that is suitable for development is already being developed Don t believe the brownfield hype: there are no easy solutions here, and the brownfield is at best a very small part of the solution to our housing problems Sam Bowman, Executive Director, Adam Smith Institute, January 2016

7 Government Brownfield Policy This government wants to see the maximum amount of brownfield land being used to build new homes, whilst also maintaining protections for our beautiful countryside : Brandon Lewis, November 2014 Require local authorities to have a register of what is available, and ensure that 90 per cent of suitable brownfield sites have planning permission for housing by 2020 (see later slide): Conservative Party Manifesto Commitment

Selling Surplus Land January 2016 120 sites for sale by June 2017 HCA to take

8 Selling Surplus Land January sites for sale by June 2017 HCA to take lead role in sale of Government owned land HCA target of building 160,000 new homes

9 Solutions to Brownfield Problems Problems Solutions 1. Higher costs associated with site preparation Sometimes roads & services are available Land Remediation Tax Relief for qualifying expenditure seriously underutilised 2. Nobody wants to live there Different approach needed for large (> 5 ha) sites Socially sustainable communities: connected, schools, near jobs 3. Making it easier to build on brownfield Planning permission in principle for sites allocated for housing in local plans, neighbourhood plans & brownfield register

10 Statutory Brownfield Registers Housing and Planning Bill will add S. 58A to TCPA 1990: Permission in principle may be granted for development of land in England Sites on so- called brownfield register receive Permission in principle Technical Details Consent also required not clear what this involves

11 Statutory Brownfield Registers Improving availability & transparency of information, greater certainty and encouraging investment For sites that are: Deliverable Free of Constraints Capable of Development Capable of supporting 5 + dwellings on sites 0.25ha and above Registers to be reviewed, updated and publicly available

12 Summary Growing population needs housing and infrastructure Substantial and increasing housing deficit Government is trying some innovative approaches Ultimately, most of the new homes will be on greenfield sites

13 Sykes Environmental LLP The Coach House Cookhams Sharpthorne West Sussex RH19 4HU Telephone +44 (0) Mobile +44 (0) Web

14 Brownfield Homes Building on Previously Developed Land Stephen Sykes Partner Castle Debates Managing Partner, Sykes Environmental LLP

Brownfield first: making better use of our land

Brownfield first: making better use of our land Developed by the EIC Brownfield First Sub-Group on behalf of the EIC Contaminated Land Working Group Follow us @EICUKtweets #EICbrownfieldfirst Contents