Brownfield First Strategy

We have been carrying out site assessments for neighbourhood plan projects for well over a decade. For towns in Green Belt, National Park and National Landscape locations these assessments have had to focus on brownfield land opportunities within their settlement boundaries.

In some cases, the work has evolved into evidencing a ‘brownfield first’ strategy. This goes further than just identifying possible sites by engaging with land interests and by promoting the type of approach being encouraged in the Government’s recent Brownfield Passport consultation, including using neighbourhood development orders.

There has been special value for these strategies in the Green Belt as the NPPF has long required LPAs and developers to show that brownfield opportunities have been exhausted before land is released or for proposals to show ‘very special circumstances’. We think the changes the new NPPF has brought about to planning in the Green Belt will place an even bigger premium on showing the potential that brownfield land has to offer.

At the same time, the recently strengthened Protected Landscapes duty for National Parks and National Landscapes might require a more approach to identifying and delivering brownfield opportunities in these areas.

What is the Local Planning Authorities role in relation to brownfield sites?

LPAs must maintain a Brownfield Land Register but few have produced a Part Two of a register to grant Permission in Principle for housing redevelopment schemes. Additionally, few ‘settlement capacity studies’ go beyond the Call for Sites data to find other opportunities. It is recognised that registers alone have proved insufficient in encouraging developers to take on brownfield sites. As a result, greenfield expansion is sometimes still deemed necessary in areas with brownfield land available.

This leaves plenty of opportunities for communities that would like to go further with their own policies or planning projects.

What is a Brownfield First Strategy?

We have therefore created a new Brownfield First Strategy product for town and parish councils to use either as part of their neighbourhood plans and/or to evidence their representations on draft Local Plans.

We know that local communities have a deep understanding of what land might already be available as well as anticipating future change. We can deploy the latest AI mapping tools and analytical skills and have the development delivery experience to know what levers are available to encourage land interests to want to go further.

Would you like to know more about brownfield first strategies?

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