Brownfield sites, such as former car parks and industrial land, are expensive to prepare for housebuilding, leading to them sitting empty and becoming an eyesore. With the introduction of this new funding, delivered through the Brownfield Land Release Fund, councils have the authority to decontaminate and clear disused buildings or improve infrastructure such as internet, water and power.
The Prime Minister said: “From the outset we promised to get this country building again to deliver 1.5 million homes over this parliament and help tackle the housing crisis we have inherited. That is the essence of fixing the foundations and driving growth. I said this government is on the side of the builders, not the blockers. And I meant it. This funding for councils will see disused sites and industrial wastelands transformed into thousands of new homes in places that people want to live and work. Our brownfield-first approach will not only ramp up housebuilding but also create more jobs, deliver much-needed infrastructure, and boost economic growth across the country. This government is rolling up its sleeves and delivering the change the British people deserve.”
Beyond the housing supply, however, the key issue from an environmental and economic point of view is the requirement to provide Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) on all of these proposed developments.
Brownfield sites are often havens for biodiversity, having been abandoned long enough for nature to reclaim them. Many such sites often support the last of rare species in built up and rural areas. This doesn’t have to be a roadblock for development, but it does bring additional costs, including ecological survey licensing for protected species mitigation and the cost of BNG, a legal requirement introduced under the Environment Act 2022. This law ensures that all developments leave sites with biodiversity better than they found it, even if that improvement occurs off-site through the purchase of BNG units. Units can be bought on other sites where a 30-year lease can be signed to improve the land for the sake of nature. Units can cost up to £25k per unit, maybe 10 units per hectare.
While the Government’s focus on brownfield development is a clear win for housing and economic growth, it also places responsibility on developers to address environmental concerns. With careful planning, the initiative can achieve its goals of tackling the housing crisis while ensuring nature continues to thrive.
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