Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

New Homes: Regenerated Brownfield Land

Monday 27 March 2023 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government committed to prioritising brownfield land for housebuilding
  • Minister offered to meet Labour MPs to discuss housing targets and issues
  • National planning policies give substantial weight to using suitable brownfield land

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Laurence Robertson Con
Housing
Context

The issue of prioritizing brownfield sites for housing to reduce pressure on greenfield areas and small villages facing speculative planning applications.

Question

What steps he is taking to help ensure that planning authorities prioritise housebuilding on brownfield sites; and if he will make a statement.

Answer from Rachel Maclean

This Government are committed to making the most of brownfield land. The national planning policy framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should give “substantial weight” to using suitable brownfield land, and through our brownfield funds we are investing significantly in supporting redevelopment and release of brownfield sites for housing. We have also committed to launching a review to identify further measures that would prioritise the use of brownfield land.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not specify concrete actions beyond existing commitments or reviews

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Q2 Wendy Morton Con Aldridge-Brownhills
Housing Local Government
Context

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and Conservative councils are regenerating brownfield land, and a £100 million deal has been secured for the area. The MP asks about creating a register of brownfield land.

Question

Under the leadership of West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and Conservative councils such as that in Walsall, we are demonstrating the value of regenerating brownfield land to create the homes we need while regenerating communities and protecting precious greenfield in areas such as mine around Streetly and Aldridge. I welcome the £100 million deal we received as part of the trailblazer devolution deal, but will my hon. Friend continue to look at the possibility of creating a register of brownfield land, as a further tool to deliver a brownfield-first approach?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

I thank my right hon. Friend for her consistent advocacy in championing this vital issue. That is absolutely what the Government are doing. We are introducing a number of measures, as she set out, to support that brownfield-first approach, including requiring every local authority to publish a register of local brownfield land suitable for housing in their area.

Answered
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Q3 Vicky Ford Con
Housing
Context

In Chelmsford, there are many households in temporary accommodation. New affordable homes are being built on greenfield sites, but the demand is not being met. The MP asks about better ways to use brownfield sites.

Question

In Chelmsford there are many households living in temporary accommodation. New affordable homes are being built on greenfield sites, but that is not keeping pace with the need. Will the Government look at better ways to use brownfield sites, such as office block to residential conversions, to help to deliver more affordable homes?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

My right hon. Friend is doing a superb job of pushing forward affordable homes for her constituents in Chelmsford, and we are wholly committed to that shared agenda. Since 2010, over 829,000 households have been helped to buy a home by Conservative Governments. That is a massive achievement. However, it is vital to prioritise brownfield sites such as those in Chelmsford, and we recently consulted on proposed policies to further encourage the use of those small sites. I am happy to meet her to discuss that further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not directly address better ways to utilise brownfield sites like office blocks for residential conversion

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Q4 Laurence Robertson Con
Housing Local Government
Context

Small villages face many speculative planning applications without the infrastructure to support them.

Question

Does the Minister agree that prioritising brownfield sites is important particularly to take the pressure off small villages, which face many speculative planning applications and do not have the infrastructure to support them?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

I know my hon. Friend expresses the concerns of his constituents who live in those villages in the Tewkesbury area. That is why we have already introduced range of policy and funding initiatives to support the development of brownfield land. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill will go much further to empower local leaders to regenerate those towns, cities and villages by introducing a new infrastructure levy, which will capture a higher land value uplift to enable more infrastructure to be delivered alongside housing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not directly confirm agreement with prioritizing brownfield sites for small villages

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Q5 Taiwo Owatemi Lab Coventry North West
Housing
Context

The Secretary of State received a letter from civic societies regarding the 35% housing uplift target. The MP asks to meet with the Minister to discuss why this target has been imposed.

Question

On 1 March, the Secretary of State received a letter written by 10 civic societies from Britain's biggest cities, including Coventry, about the 35% housing uplift. Given the widespread condemnation of that arbitrary target, will the Minister meet me to explain why it has been imposed on Coventry?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

I will be happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss housing targets in Coventry. In the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill we have set out the measures under which local areas will have more power to ensure that the right housing is built in the right places.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not explain why the 35% target has been imposed on Coventry

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Q6 Jon Trickett Lab Normanton and Hemsworth
Housing
Context

There are tens of thousands of families desperate for affordable housing in Yorkshire. CPRE, The Countryside Charity, identifies potential brownfield sites with existing planning consent but sees executive housing being built on green belt land.

Question

In Yorkshire, there are tens of thousands of families desperate for affordable housing. CPRE, The Countryside Charity, says that there are 115,000 potential brownfield sites in our county alone, and tens of thousands of more are land banked, with planning consent already given for housing. Yet there is executive housing popping up like mushrooms in a forcing shed all over my constituency on the green belt. Is the Minister happy that her legacy will be a Government that poured cement and tarmac all over Yorkshire's green and pleasant land?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

I think that this Government will be extremely proud of our legacy of delivering affordable homes and homes for first-time buyers all over the country. We need a locally led planning system; that is why we are delivering measures in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill to require more infrastructure and a brownfield-first approach, backed by billions of pounds-worth of funding.

Not addressed: Does not address concerns about building on green belt land

How: Changed Subject

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Q7 Emma Hardy Lab Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
Climate Environment
Context

Humber is the second most flood-prone region in the UK, with over 190,000 at-risk homes. The MP asks about stricter statutory requirements for flood protection and mitigation.

Question

The statutory requirements for the houses that we build today fall far short of the challenges of a changing climate. Humber is the second most flood-prone region in the UK after London, with more than 190,000 at-risk homes, which equates to a third of all properties in the region. Will the Minister consider urgently introducing to the national planning framework stricter statutory requirements for flood protection and mitigation?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

The hon. Lady raises a vital issue. We recognise the importance of protecting communities from flood risk. That is why we have been clear in the national planning policy framework that areas of flood risk should be avoided and that, where that is not possible, all risks should be mitigated. That is further supported by the flood risk and coastal change guidance, which has been updated. I am very happy to discuss that in more detail with her as it affects her communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Does not specify urgent introduction of stricter statutory requirements

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