§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what statistics his Department collects on the number of brown-field sites in town centres redeveloped for residential use. [75511]
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§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Land Use Change Statistics published by my Department provide information on the area of land changing to residential use that was previously developed for urban uses. (Urban uses comprise residential, transport and utilities, industry and commerce, community services, previously developed vacant land and derelict land). Numbers of new dwellings built on previously developed land (excluding conversions of existing dwellings) are also recorded. This information provides statistics for the proportion of new residential development that takes place on previously developed land.
Some previously developed land is located in rural areas. My Department has developed the analysis of land use change to identify separately changes that occurred inside and outside urban areas as defined for the 1991 Census. At present it is not possible to distinguish those land use changes that occurred within town centres, but this might become possible following research under way to define the boundaries of town centres for statistical purposes.
The latest results of the Land Use Change Statistics, together with more information about how they are compiled, were published in the statistical bulletin "Land Use Change in England No. 13", a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.