The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has expressed its support for the government to build more homes on brownfield land. However, the Institute warns that new urban brownfield schemes must be closely monitored to ensure residents are not landed with poor quality homes or poorly planned developments that people wouldn’t want to live in.
In its consultation response, the RTPI has emphasised the importance of ensuring that new market housing does not displace commercial, industrial, and logistics uses for brownfield sites that are critical for local economic growth.
The Institute further stresses that brownfield and previously developed land can be more difficult to develop, and the government should take more proactive steps to help councils encourage this development.
To facilitate this process, the RTPI has suggested that scaled-up Homes England funding for brownfield development, and support for local authorities to review and update their brownfield land registers could be instrumental in strengthening development pipelines quickly.
The Institute also recommends that stronger mechanisms for strategic planning and public service provision could help make previously developed land better serve their communities in the long term.
Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the RTPI, said: “We welcome the government’s drive to deliver more homes on brownfield land. However, it is crucial that new developments are well-planned and of high quality, and that they do not displace important commercial and industrial uses that play an important role in supporting sustainable mixed-use places including local economies.
“With the right support and funding, we can ensure that brownfield sites are brought back into use in a way that benefits local communities and contributes to economic growth.”
