Government urged to increase brownfield target

The EIC is urging the government to increase the target for building houses on brownfield sites to 80% in order to drive regeneration of derelict land.


The campaign comes in response to the Deputy Prime Minister’s instructions to English Partnerships, the government regeneration agency, to develop a National Brownfield Strategy.

Merlin Hyman, EIC Director, said: “The current target of 60% of new housing on brownfield sites was achieved long ago. There is no excuse for building 40% of new housing on Greenfield sites when there are so many derelict sites blighting our communities. It is time for the government to set a more demanding 80% target to drive local authorities, agencies and developers to focus on regeneration.”

In association with companies from the land remediation sector, EIC have produced a report, Driving regeneration: A report on the national brownfield strategy, which sets out recommendations to tackle the key barriers to regenerating derelict sites across the country.

These include:

  • Increasing the 60% target to 80%.
  • Establishing a uniform approach to the setting and discharge of planning conditions for regeneration of brownfield sites.
  • Urgently resolving the problems with licensing on-site land remediation technologies.
  • Publishing clear guidance, with case studies, on how waste regulation applies to remediation projects.
  • Putting in place a comprehensive annual survey of implementation of Part IIA.
  • Expanding the tax incentives for land remediation to cover broader regeneration costs.

    “Regeneration is currently being hampered by inappropriate regulation, confused funding and limited incentives. The National Brownfield Strategy must set out an integrated strategy to reduce the risk of developing brownfield sites,” Mr Hyman concluded.

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