INDUSTRY NEWS 5
Brownfield can support 1.3 million homes
There is enough brownfield land for 1.3 million new homes, and over half a million already have planning permission, according to a new report from CPRE. The figures demonstrate that there is already enough available and suitable land in the planning system to meet the Government’s ambition to build 300,000 homes per year for the remainder of this Parliament (five years). According to the CPRE this calls into question the controversial plans to deregulate the planning system that have been proposed by Ministers.
Brownfield land – (land that has previously been built on, but now sits derelict or vacant) – “provides a valuable resource in the protection of greenfield land from development,” said CPRE. The State of Brownfield report 2020 is the latest in a series of CPRE reports on the brownfield register, which catalogue the number of brownfield sites available for development.
The analysis argues that the planning system is not slowing building rates. There is currently planning permission for over half a million (565,564) units on brown- field land. In February 2020, the Local Government Association found that over one million homes had been granted planning permission but were not yet built. This means that brownfield sites and other unbuilt sites with planning permis- sion could provide over 1.5 million new homes – demonstrating there is already enough suitable land in the planning system to meet the Government’s 300,000 target for the rest of this Parliament. Many areas across England with high housing need also have a large amount of brownfield land ready for
redevelopment. London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield have identified land available for regeneration that would provide nearly half a million homes (458,587).
In order to make best use of suitable brownfield land, CPRE is urging the Government to introduce a genuine ‘brownfield first’ policy, which ensures that suitable previously developed or under- used land is prioritised for
redevelopment over green spaces and countryside. Commenting on the figures, Crispin
Truman, chief executive of CPRE, said the figures “clearly show that the planning system is not what is ailing our housing market.” Truman continues: “If there is enough land in the planning system to meet the Government’s own housing targets, what will an overhaul of the planning system, with rushed and untested changes, really achieve? It’s clear the Government have gravely misdiagnosed the problem – slow build out rates and market led housing are blocking the quality affordable housing that rural communities are crying out for.”
Netherlands, Germany and the US, and examines the potential impact a similar system might have in England. It comes following the publication of Planning for the Future, a Government White Paper which proposes three broad land classifications – sometimes known as zones – in a new local plan, differentiating areas for growth, renewal and protection. The report aims to improve general understanding of different types of zonal planning systems and how England could use zonal planning based on these practices. It looks at England’s current discretionary planning system and compares it to more regulatory zoning approaches in other countries, exploring the pros and cons of each. Chief executive of the RTPI, Victoria Hills, said: “Zonal planning is not a homogenous idea and exists in many different ways in different countries, including in countries where zonal planning is implemented in a hybrid system.
“The move to a less discretionary planning system is a controversial and radical move for England. It is essential that such moves are backed by a strong evidence base and open to wide debate. Our report provides a useful contribution to that.”
RTPI looks at strengths and weakness of zonal planning
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has published a report which sets out the strengths and weaknesses of zonal planning systems.
Planning Through Zoning provides an insight into the use of zonal planning in a number of different nations such as the
In a letter to the Times in June, chief executive of the RTPI, Victoria Hills, referred to local planning zones as ‘blunt instruments’. Following publication of the White
Paper, she referred to the proposed new system as ‘rather simplistic’ and called for further detail on how it would enable the upfront delivery of critical infrastructure and increase design quality, especially when coupled with the expansion of Permitted Development Rights and changes to the Use Class Order. The Institute is currently consulting its
members on the Planning White Paper and will be making its formal response at the end of October. The RTPI has also produced a one-page ‘explainer’ on zoning.
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