Brownfield Land Registers: One year on

The requirement for Brownfield Land Registers came into force last year. Now, one year on, and with the first round of updates due, we review progress made and the implications of changes made to the policy framework.

We found that although nearly all local authorities published their Register in time, very few included or proposed sites for inclusion on Part 2 of the Register: being those which benefit from Permission in Principle. With policy now emphasising the use of brownfield land and the contribution that small sites can make to housing supply, we question whether the Registers have been a missed opportunity.

With the Housing Delivery Test due to come in, and with the NPPF stating that sites on the Brownfield Land Register have the potential to contribute to the five year supply of land for housing, we ask how they might be used as a more proactive tool to identify new development opportunities, bring about new housing products and, ultimately, deliver new homes.

Please do contact us if you would like to discuss further, or need support identifying sites and preparing updates to the Register.