Brownfield land is not the solution to the housing emergency!

Building new homes on brownfield land is not the solution to the national housing emergency even if significant government support is forthcoming.

But how much brownfield land is there? Is there enough of it to meet the needs of 300,000 homes per annum, and is it in the kinds of places where those homes most need to be built? 

This report – prepared by Lichfields for the Land Promoters and Developers Federation (LPDF) – addresses these questions, unpacking some of the data on brownfield land availability from local authority-prepared Brownfield Registers to help shape a better understanding of this important policy area. 

Even if every site on council brownfield registers was to be built out in full, brownfield land capacity only equates to just under a third (31%) of the 4.5 million new homes needed over the next 15 years.

Brownfield Land Alone Can Not Supply The Housing This Country Needs

Banking on Brownfield asks if previously developed land can supply enough homes, of the right type, where they are needed.

The answer is a resounding no. 

The analysis comes in response to the Levelling Up White Paper, 2021 Conservative Party Conference speeches and the £1.5 billion Brownfield housing fund which have all suggested brownfield land as the solution to meeting the country’s housing needs.

Download the report here.