National Brownfield Forum research on the interactions of policies affecting the planning and development of brownfield land has been published
In January 2025, the National Brownfield Forum (NBF) set up a task and finish group to gather evidence on the policies affecting the planning and development of brownfield land. The research is summarised in a new report, supported by BGS, which is aimed at Government ministers, policymakers and senior business leaders interested in the growth and investment missions for brownfield-led housing and infrastructure.
The NBF is an active group of over 30 public and private members, originally set up in 2011 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The forum focuses on knowledge sharing around the sustainable re-use of land. The NBF is administered by the charity CL:AIRE as secretariat and a two-year rolling chair.
Nicola Harries, technical director at CL:AIRE, said: “This project was a great example of how both the public and private sector can work collaboratively together for the benefit of the brownfield industry.”
Balancing sustainability with efficient project delivery
The research explored a variety of factors that impact brownfield development delivery, such as:
- Development delays and additional costs due to conflict between groundwater policies for abstraction, treatment and discharge of groundwater
- Landfill Redevelopment under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016
- Regulatory positions and the role of citizen science
- The challenge of effective regulatory engagement
- Insufficient land contamination information provided with planning applications
BGS supported the work using its National Capability funding
The report published by CL:AIRE on behalf of the NBF, Interactions between government policies affecting the planning and development of brownfield land in England (31.6 MB PDF) is now available to download, as are the evidence cards (2.2 MB PDF).
Dr Darren Beriro, current NBF chair and principal geoscientist at BGS, said: “The report findings demonstrate the need to improve how environmental and planning policies in England interact to support the planning and development of brownfield land. The evidence collected suggests that this will increase the amount of brownfield land that is being successfully re-used for housing and infrastructure.
“The NBF research demonstrates a shared and strong commitment to the sustainable development of brownfield land and support for an active policy landscape.”
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