As part of its brownfield first approach to development, the government’s Ministry of Housing has announced plans to support and expedite approval of urban sites, such as car parks.
There has been a call for evidence to look at how to accelerate building in urban areas as part of the government’s brownfield first approach to deliver the homes in the areas people need.
This will sits alongside plans to deliver 1.5 million homes in Labour’s ‘Get Britain Building’ scheme.
As part of its brownfield first approach to development, the government has announced plans to support and expedite approval of urban sites, such as car parks.
As signalled in the National Planning Policy Framework consultation, the government is taking further steps toward the introduction of an effective ‘brownfield passport’ to ensure where proposals meet design and quality standards, the default answer is yes.
A call for evidence will be launched on options to further increase certainty in relation to brownfield development. These will include bold proposals that provide far greater clarity as to the principle, scale, and form of brownfield development with a view to lowering the risk, cost and uncertainty associated with securing planning permissions.
The options will then be discussed with key stakeholders, before specific proposals are consulted on, and any new policies implemented.
As part of its ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes this Parliament, the Government has already taken steps to deliver on its brownfield first approach through the NPPF consultation, setting out changes to clarify brownfield development is acceptable in principle. CPRE head of policy and planning Paul Miner said:
“CPRE welcomes the government’s announcement of ‘brownfield passports’ that would give permission in principle for appropriate developments on areas of brownfield land.
‘There are enough shovel-ready brownfield sites in England alone for 1.2 million new homes and we have been calling on the government to deliver on its commitments to a brownfield-first approach to housebuilding. ‘Brownfield passports’ could help speed up delivery of these much-needed homes by reducing the risk that planning permission would not be given, incentivising housebuilders to buy and develop brownfield land.
It’s crucial that communities are consulted on new developments, which should therefore be delivered in line with agreed local plans.
We urge the government to require a significant proportion of new homes to be genuinely affordable homes and, in particular, available for social rent. As well as a focus on developing brownfield, we need to see ambitious targets for genuinely affordable and social rented homes that the market, dominated by a small number of large players, has failed to deliver.”
The consultation closes on 24th September.
