2. News and blog
3. News and Blog
4. 2010
5. August 2010
6. 19 August 2010
7. Brownfield development advice concern

Brownfield development advice concern

Organisations and professionals involved with brownfield development have written to Communities minister Greg Clark voicing concern about the Government’s plans to consolidate and streamline planning policy guidance into a single national planning framework.

The letter has set out a number of issues which the group argued should be highlighted in any new guidance.

Such new advice should include a clear and unequivocal statement that “contamination is a material planning consideration” as well as drawing attention “to the opportunities presented by redevelopment to mitigate the risks posed by land affected by contamination”.

The letter also argued that any new guidance should:

• strongly advise the local planning authority to always consult their contaminated land officers on brownfield redevelopment sites
• stress that it is the developer’s responsibility to carry out the necessary investigation, assessment and remediation
• state clearly  that the minimum information required from the applicant is a report of a desk study and walkover survey
• maintain the position that the required standard of remediation is the removal of unacceptable risk and making the site ‘suitable for use’.

A Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "The planning system plays an important role in improving the quality of the local environment and making better use of land. We will listen to the views of industry and carefully consider all environmental policies when we write the framework, which will clearly set out the Government’s economic, social and environmental priorities."

Roger Milne

19 August 2010