Responding to figures from the Department for Communities & Local Government which show that previously-developed land holds the potential to accommodate 1 million homes, Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation Stewart Baseley says:
“Although it is welcome that the latest annual figures show there is still a substantial amount of brownfield land that could be made available for the new housing we need, this cannot in itself be the answer to all our requirements.”
“We need to build at least 200,000 new homes a year to balance supply and demand and help improve housing affordability. The planning system must therefore provide sufficient developable sites consistently to make this a reality. Today’s figures show that this will require a supply of greenfield as well as brownfield land. We also need to tackle the barriers to the development of brownfield sites for housing mentioned by the report and ensure the policy and regulatory framework plays its part in doing so.”
Notes for Editors
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal trade federation for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s 300 member firms account for over 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies. www.hbf.co.uk
The Government’s figures on the availability of brownfield land can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2232
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