Rehabilitating Brownfield Sites

A brownfield site or land is simply one that has previously been developed for either housing, commercial or industrial use. You can technically get greenfield (undeveloped) land within a brownfield site. In these cases, the site is defined as previously developed land (PDL). When planning is granted on PDL, it is often on the proviso that the greenfield part remains undeveloped and is used for an amenity or play area.

Brownfield land is supposed to be the saviour of housing development in the UK and greenfield land.

In the Government's 'Sustainable Communities Plan' and recent accompanying planning reforms, brownfield sites are the prime targets for redevelopment. Indeed the Government has stipulated that brownfield sites must always be used first in preference to greenfield land, unless in exceptional circumstances.

At least 60% of any new development must be on brownfield land. This is the Government target. Is it achievable? In many areas, the answer is certainly yes. In Northern counties there are substantial tracks of derelict brownfield sites, which could be flattened for new development or restored. And the CPRE would have you believe that there is sufficient brownfield land for all our future housing requirements, but the brownfield versus greenfield debate, isn't as simple as that. There is a cost.

Rehabilitating Brownfield sites

Brownfield land is more expensive in the first place for the Developer to buy because it is seen as more desirable and more suitable for development. Much brownfield land is also expensive because it is contaminated through its previous use.

Bringing back contaminated land is costly and here is the major problem with brownfield land. English Partnerships is a government created agency which buys up and 'land banks' redundant local authority land and then promotes it for redevelopment at market rates.

Approximately a third, around 66,000 hectares, of English Partnership's brownfield land could be released now for development, if it were not for the fact that some of these sites have a 'negative' value due to contamination. In order to sell this brownfild land for redevelopment, it requires reinstating and this could only be achieved at the public's expense and they are currently not prepared to pay.

The reality is that the market cannot support the cost of redevelopment of some brownfield sites and the public are not prepared to pay to support the cost.

In the Government's latest PPG3 Supplement, it specifies that local authorities should work more closely with developers to produce sustainable development on brownfield sites. It will be interesting to see if this can be achieved and if the old lines between local planners and developers can be crossed!

- James M

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