Brownfield Land Register

Mid Devon District Council is required to prepare, maintain and publish a register of previously developed (brownfield) land suitable for housing.

The guidance requires that Brownfield Land Registers will be in two parts, Part 1 will comprise all brownfield sites considered appropriate for residential development and Part 2, those sites granted permission in principle. Local authorities are required to update the information relating to each entry and review the sites on their registers at least once a year.

Part 1 of the Brownfield Register

Part 1 of the register comprises all brownfield sites that the Council has assessed as being appropriate for residential development. All sites included on Part 1 have been assessed as meeting the National Planning Policy Framework 2024 (NPPF) definition of previously developed land (brownfield land):

Land which has been lawfully developed and is or was occupied by a permanent structure and any fixed surface infrastructure associated with it, including the curtilage of the developed land (although it should not be assumed that the whole of the curtilage should be developed). It also includes land comprising large areas of fixed surface infrastructure such as large areas of hardstanding which have been lawfully developed. Previously developed land excludes: land that is or was last occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings; land that has been developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill, where provision for restoration has been made through development management procedures; land in built-up areas such as residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments; and land that was previously developed but where the remains of the permanent structure or fixed surface structure have blended into the landscape.

To be considered suitable for housing, sites must meet the definition of brownfield land and be:

• Available (willing landowner)

• In a suitable location for housing (in accordance with policies in the adopted Mid Devon Local Plan and the NPPF) and free from constraints that cannot be mitigated,

• Achievable – development is likely within 15 years,
• Capable of supporting five or more dwellings or more than 0.25 hectares.

Currently, there are 8 sites on Part 1 of the Mid Devon Brownfield Register. The inclusion of sites on Part 1 does not give them any formal status, or grant permission in principle. Planning applications on these sites will be considered on their merits in accordance with the local plan, national policy and any other material considerations.

Part 2 of the Brownfield Register

Part 2 of the register is a subset of the sites in Part 1 and must identify the sites that the Council considers should be granted permission in principle. Permission in principle (PiP) is a new tool which is intended to work alongside existing routes for obtaining planning permission. It can only be granted on housing-led developments and is intended to offer an alternative route to obtaining outline planning permission. The Government considers that this process will provide certainty to developers by clarifying early on in the process the ‘in principle’ matters of use, location and amount of development. Following ‘PiP’ the developer or landowner has five years to submit an application for ‘Technical Details Consent’ (TDC).

At the current time, the Council is not granting permission in principle for any sites on Part 1 of the Brownfield Register. However, the list of brownfield sites will be updated every year and this decision will be reviewed accordingly.

You can view the Brownfield Register using the link below:

Mid Devon Brownfield Register 2024

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