DCLG reveals measures to block brownfield sites

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced new plans to help councils speed up development of derelict and underused land for new homes.

The new measures involve enabling local authorities across England to produce and maintain up-to-date, publicly available registers of brownfield sites available for housing locally. The new registers will help builders identify suitable brownfield sites quickly, promising to unlock land for thousands of new homes.

According to a statement from the DCLG, communities will be able to highlight local derelict or underused building sites that are primed for redevelopment. This can bring investment to the area and increase the number of new homes in the area.

The registers are part of the government’s programme to speed up house building, promote brownfield sites for development and release land to deliver many more new homes.

Housing and Planning Minister Gavin Barwell said: “We need to build more homes in this country so making sure that we re-use brownfield land is crucial. We want to bring life back to abandoned sites, create thousands more homes and help protect our valued countryside.

“These new registers will give local authorities and developers the tools to do this.”