History - Pilot Brownfield Register
The Government is bringing into force a requirement for Councils to prepare a Brownfield Register. The Register will help housebuilders identify suitable sites quickly, speeding up the construction of new homes and maximising the number of new homes built on land that has previously been developed.
Mid Devon is one of a number of pilot authorities chosen across the country for the government’s new Brownfield Register. We have prepared a pilot Brownfield Register that includes sites taken from the Mid Devon Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), our records of sites that have planning permission, site allocations in the adopted Mid Devon Local Plan and the emerging Local Plan Review 2013 - 2033. This work will help inform future government policy and guidance for the preparation of brownfield sites registers.
The pilot Brownfield Register includes a standard set of information. It will be reviewed in accordance with forthcoming legislation and guidance, kept up-to-date and made publicly available to help provide certainty for developers and communities and encourage investment in local areas.
All sites included on the pilot register have been assessed as meeting the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) definition of previously developed land (brownfield land):
Land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land (although it should not be assumed that the whole of the curtilage should be developed) and any associated fixed surface infrastructure. This excludes: land that is or has been occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings; land that has been developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill purposes where provision for restoration has been made through development control procedures; land in built-up areas such as private 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 in the process of time.
To be considered suitable for housing, sites must meet the definition of brownfield land and be:
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Available (willing landowner),
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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,
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Viable and capable of being delivered within 5 years or developed later on (e.g. between 6 and 10 years),
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Capable of supporting five or more dwellings or more than 0.25 hectares.
Status of sites
The pilot Brownfield Register does not affect the status of sites that already have planning permission or are allocated for development in the adopted Local Plan or the emerging Local Plan Review.
The inclusion of other sites on the pilot Brownfield Register 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.
The pilot Brownfield Register will be reviewed following the formal requirement to prepare such registers coming into force. This will affect the status of sites included on future Brownfield Registers prepared by the Council. The compiling of future Brownfield Registers will provide the opportunity for the potential inclusion of other identified sites and public engagement on this.
You can view the Pilot Brownfield Register using the links below:
Maps