Govt starts brownfield passport consultation
Aimed at making it easier for developers to secure planning permission for previously developed sites and increasing density in urban areas, the initiative forms part of Labour’s plans to ramp up housing delivery.
The so-called brownfield passport would set rules for residential development on urban gap sites around design and density that, if adhered to, would allow councils to approve planning applications more quickly.
“The default answer to suitable proposals [would be] a straightforward ‘yes’”, if the criteria is met, the government said.
The benefit of brownfield passports for developers is more certainty. Knowing the rules of engagement prior to submitting an application would give applicants a clearer idea of what is expected of them in certain locations. In theory, they would streamline the planning process, leading to more certainty of delivery timescales.
The government said: “While we are not considering the granting of automatic planning permission on suitable brownfield sites or removing appropriate local oversight of the development control process, we do want to explore ways in which providing more explicit expectations for development could lower the risk, cost, and uncertainty associated with securing planning permissions on brownfield land.”
The move could be good news for SME housebuilders, for whom certainty of pipeline is imperative in order to minimise costly delays and protect already tight margins.
The government said that brownfield passports could be “central to opening up the opportunities that urban brownfield sites offer for small and medium enterprise builders, helping to diversify and grow the construction sector”.
The introduction of brownfield passports is one of a suite of interventions aimed at increasing housing delivery and getting the country close to Labour’s target of 1.5m new homes over the next four and a half years.
Others include New Towns, increased local housing targets, the requirement for all devolved areas to have spatial strategies akin to Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone, and the introduction of the grey belt land designation.
The property sector and the public are being invited to have their say on the brownfield passports proposal by answering a series of questions set out in a recently published paper outlining the initiative.
The outcome of this consultation will be interesting, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for any significant improvements. A Brownfield Passport sounds very similar to a Design Code at a smaller scale, or a Plot Passport at the micro scale. It still doesn’t prevent the planning process getting bogged down in the minutiae. Policy already encourages and promotes the redevelopment of brownfield land. This won’t change council’s having unrealistic design expectations, unit mix requirements, BNG costs, viability issues, etc, etc.
By Anonymous