Government and CPRE call for more building on brownfield sites

Empty Offices at Farnborough Aerospace Business Park, Rushmoor Borough, Hampshire.

In response to the Government’s Productivity Plan, announced today, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) has called for the Government to implement a ‘brownfield first’ rule.

The Government will introduce a new zonal system which will effectively give automatic permission on suitable brownfield sites.  This was welcomed by the CPRE in their statement, but they asked the Government to go further saying:

“To achieve the development we want and need on brownfield land, the Government should implement a ‘brownfield first’ rule at the heart of planning to prioritise urban redevelopment and leave behind the unsustainable status quo – where developers cherry pick green fields for development. Communities must also be involved from the start to ensure good design, and it is desperately important that new developments include a significant amount of affordable housing.”

We Heart Hart wholeheartedly agrees with this approach, and would like to see the combined boroughs of Hart, Surrey Heath and Rushmoor implement these ideas by prioritising building on the 196 hectares of vacant employment land that will remain in the Housing Market Area at the end of the plan period.  In particular, Rushmoor is protecting 96 hectares of employment land, whilst at the same time asking Hart to build 1,600 houses on beautiful green fields.  We think this is madness and it forms one of our arguments opposing the Rushmoor Local Plan.  If you would like to put in your objection, please see our post here and please use the pre-prepared form on the link below.

Rushmoor Local Plan Response Form

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There are certainly plenty of brownfield sites to be considered: