The UK government has set an ambitious target of delivering 1.5 million new homes by 2029. In order to encourage the use of brownfield urban sites and thereby reduce the need to build on green-field land, the Government has set a target of 60 percent of all new homes to be built (over the next ten years) on brownfield land. While this goal is essential to address the housing crisis and meet growing demand, several significant challenges must be overcome.

Most recently, £68 million funding for brownfield development presents exciting opportunities for developers. However, these sites carry significant environmental risks. To fully capitalise on these incentives, developers must ensure thorough geo-environmental assessments are undertaken, transforming risks into opportunities.

What is Brownfield Land?

Brownfield land refers to previously developed land, typically used for industrial or commercial purposes, which may have become derelict or contaminated over time. These sites often require remediation before they can be redeveloped for new housing or commercial properties.

As greenfield land becomes increasingly scarce in densely populated areas, focus has long been shifting toward brownfield redevelopment as a sustainable and practical solution. This approach not only revitalises underused urban areas but also curbs urban sprawl by making efficient use of existing land. The regeneration of these spaces results in improvements for local communities, increase jobs, boosting income generation for local businesses and creating environments with a greater social value. It’s a win-win for both developers and the surrounding community.

Government Incentives for Brownfield Development

The Role of the Consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

The Government recently published a comprehensive consultation outlining significant changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), aimed at promoting brownfield development and easing restrictions on Green Belt land.

Whilst Brownfield Registers were introduced historically to streamline planning, they’ve been less effective than anticipated and there are recent changes afoot demonstrating intent to highlight the importance of a “Brownfield First” approach.

The Role of the Brownfield Land Release Fund

Part of the strategy includes the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF), which aids local councils in unlocking brownfield land for housing development by funding site remediation and preparation. This initiative helps councils transform underused sites into viable development opportunities while preserving greenfield spaces. With this new funding, councils can tackle site decontamination, unlocking the potential for up to 5,200 new homes.

The Role of Brownfield Passports in Redevelopment

To turn the screw further and ensure focus is aimed on brownfield redevelopment, the Labour Government has published a working paper asking for views on its plan to introduce a system of “Brownfield Passports”.

This signals a clear preference for brownfield as the default for new projects and a short consultation window indicates swift action ahead.

Brownfield passports offer a practical tool for developers by addressing common barriers in brownfield redevelopment, such as the lack of reliable information and the complexity of regulatory requirements. In essence, they a tool designed to fast-track approvals for developments on previously developed land and offer a number of benefits:

1. Access to Transparent Information: Brownfield passports provide a clear overview of contamination levels, prior assessments, and environmental conditions, allowing developers to make informed decisions.
2. Streamlining the Process: By compiling essential data (e.g., environmental reports and remediation strategies) in one document, brownfield passports simplify navigating regulations and speed up the planning process.
3. Facilitating Collaboration: Brownfield redevelopment often involves multiple stakeholders, including developers, councils, and environmental bodies. Passports serve as a common reference point, helping everyone work from the same set of facts.
4. Promoting Sustainable Development: By providing detailed environmental data, brownfield passports support sustainable development practices, ensuring remediation strategies minimise environmental impacts.

Countries like Germany have successfully integrated brownfield passports into urban strategies, transforming former industrial areas into thriving urban spaces.

Is the Governments Plan Enough?

Can Labour hit its target and build 1.5 million homes by 2029? Currently, that looks unlikely. However, being ambitious shouldn’t be seen as bad thing if it results in more homes being built.

To do so, the government will need to aim for an upward trajectory, so that by 2028-29, around 450,000 new homes a year are being built. This is a significantly higher rate of housebuilding than we have seen in the last 50 years.

What needs to be done to increase housing development?

Labour's proposed policies and the government's initiatives are a step in the right direction ,aiming to improve planning timescales and provide funding, but further measures are essential for success:

• Critical Reforms and Support: Improving local planning resources to manage higher volumes of applications and enable councils to acquire land more proactively for affordable housing development.
• Creating a Stable Policy Environment: Long-term stability in government policies is essential to attract institutional investors and ensure steady funding. A 10 to 20-year regulatory framework is necessary for the housing sector to thrive.
• Addressing Funding Shortfalls: Estimates suggest an additional £24 billion annually is required to bridge the gap between the current housing delivery and the target. This would involve seeking private sector investments or expanding public funding mechanisms.
• Tackling Skills Shortages: The construction industry faces a skills gap that limits both the speed and quality of homebuilding. Investments in skills training are essential to upskill the workforce and attract new talent.

The Importance of Professional Site Investigations

The current Government incentives and proposals to make brownfield land redevelopment more attractive are all well and good, in theory. However, it is well known that brownfield land has its risks. Contamination, unstable ground conditions and waste are common issues on post-industrial land, posing serious financial, legal, and safety risks. These risks can result in project delays, unexpected costs, and even failed developments.

A good professional, pragmatic and commercially minded environmental consultant will be able to guide developers through the potential pit falls of brownfield redevelopment, and reduce their exposure to risks, delays and liabilities.

The Benefits of Effective Site Assessments

Effective site-specific assessments will enable developers to determine:

• Contamination Risk: Having a greater understanding of the soil and water contamination status of a site will allow a prospective developer to achieve the best value for the purchase of the land. Unidentified  contamination could result in expensive remediation post-purchase or during construction.
• Project Delays: Understanding the contamination status of your site enables the developer to deliver projects on time and to budget, unidentified ground conditions have the potential to halt construction, causing significant project delays.
• Legal Liabilities: “Caveat Emptor”, vendors usually have more information about the land than the purchasers, so a prudent buyer should do their own due diligence to ensure they are making an informed decision. Purchasing land could come with unwanted extras and where contaminants are present that are affecting groundwater or neighbouring properties it can result in legal action and fines, adding unplanned costs.

The reluctance of developers to address these challenges has led to fewer brownfield projects being undertaken than anticipated when a brownfield first approach was introduced.

However, given the renewed focus on brownfield-first development, overlooking these opportunities could mean missing out on substantial incentives, funding and positive views from regulators through planning.

Unlocking Opportunities with Pragmatic Geo-Environmental Assessments

A detailed, professional environmental site investigation can convert these risks into opportunities. At Roberts Environmental, we focus on providing site specific, technically pragmatic and commercially focused reporting. Our approach ensures developers:

• Understand the Risks by putting the technical information in plain English to allow decisions to be made.
• Avoid unforeseen costs by identifying and mitigating contamination risks early and ensuring compliance with environmental laws and standards.
• Save time and minimise delays by addressing environmental concerns upfront, reducing delays during construction, planning and reducing risk of potential legal issues associated with contamination.
• Enhance project appeal to investors by ensuring environmental compliance, which can release new funding and development opportunities.

Conclusion: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

The challenge of delivering 1.5 million homes by 2029 is immense, is it insurmountable? We will see. However, addressing key issues such as improving planning timescales, creating a stable policy environment, reducing funding gaps, skills shortages, and improving quality assurance, will go a long way in moving towards this target.

Couple this with a drive for brownfield redevelopment, providing huge environmental and social benefits it would appear we have the right idea provided we can execute the plan.

Taking a higher level view, we should not get too caught up on an arbitrary house building “target”. It’s ambitious, which is always a good thing, but the real goal is to increase the number of houses being developed for which there is significant need.

Regardless, the combination of government incentives and detailed geo-environmental assessments provides an excellent opportunity for developers to capitalise on brownfield sites.

However, these sites must be approached with careful planning and thorough investigation. By investing in professional, site-specific assessments, developers can unlock the full potential of brownfield land, turning unknowns into opportunities.