Property Development

(asked on 8th February 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to (a) prioritise brown field development over the use of green field sites and (b) ensure that natural habitats and biodiversity are protected when any development commences.


Answered by
Neil O'Brien Portrait
Neil O'Brien
This question was answered on 15th February 2022

This Government strongly encourages the re-use of brownfield land. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements. We have introduced a number of planning reforms, which include: uplifting local housing need in the top 20 most populated cities, successfully requiring every local authority to publish a register of local brownfield land suitable for housing, introducing “Permission in Principle” to speed-up housing-led development on land included in brownfield registers, and revising Permitted Development and Use Class rules to help make best use of existing buildings.

The NPPF is clear that the planning system should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment by providing net gains where possible. Local authorities should set out in their development plans a positive strategy for the conservation of the natural environment. Planning Practice Guidance explains how to implement national policy on conserving and enhancing biodiversity, ecosystems and green infrastructure. Furthermore, the Environment Act’s new requirements for biodiversity net gain will begin commencement from 2023, meaning most types of new development will deliver improvements of 10 per cent or more for biodiversity.

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