HC Deb 14 March 2000 vol 346 cc117-8W
Mr. Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what is his estimate of the acreage of brownfield sites available for housing development in(a) London and (b) the South East Region; [114385]

(2) what register there is of brownfield sites available for housing development in (a) London and (b) the South East Region. [114384]

Mr. Raynsford

[holding answer 13 March 2000]: Information on previously developed sites in England, which may be available for redevelopment has been collected in Phase I of the National Land Use Database. Summary provisional estimates published last May in the DETR/GSS Information Bulletin 500 show the area for each Government Office Region of vacant, derelict and other previously developed land and the amounts which either had planning permission or were judged suitable for housing. The extract table shows the provisional results for the Government Office Regions for South East and London. Final estimates will be published shortly. The estimates are a 'snapshot' for 1998, based on the sites reported by local authorities at the time and may only be a partial appraisal. They take no account of future supply of previously developed land. Urban capacity studies, as required by Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing (issued 7 March), will provide local authorities with a further means of identifying the full scope for reuse of land and buildings for housing.

All previously developed land that is unused or may be available

for redevelopment 1 by planned use, suitability for housing and

Government Office Region: England 1998
Hectares/numbers
Government Office Region
London South East
Planning allocation or permission 2:
Housing 660 1,870
Mixed use 920 1,740
Other 680 2,890
None 570 3,240
All previously developed land that is unused or may be available for redevelopment: 2,820 9,740
of which-Suitable for housing 3
Total area 1,720 81,650
Number of dwellings4 5,460 119,820
1 Comprises previously developed vacant and derelict land, vacant buildings (excluding single dwellings except where they could be developed into 10 or more dwellings); land or buildings currently in use, which are allocated in the local plan for any developed use, have planning permission for housing or with known potential for redevelopment
2 Land that has planning permission or is allocated in a local plan for the use indicated (includes some allocations in draft plans)
3 Based on sites judged by the local authorities to be suitable for residential development immediately, within 5 years, or suitable with planning or development constraints
4 Based on existing planning permissions or estimated capacity based on current density assumptions