Brownfield sites across England have the potential to house almost 1.5 million homes, with Greater London, the West Midlands, and Greater Manchester home to the largest proportion of brownfield land in the current market.

Currently, there are an estimated 26,670 brownfield plots located across the nation. According to the CPRE, the average brownfield site can hold an estimated 53.6 housing units, meaning that the nation’s current brownfield land is enough to facilitate the construction of 1.43 million new homes.

The Government recently announced its focus on the redevelopment of commercial brownfield sites into residential homes, aligning with the interests of local communities.

In terms of the greatest degree of all available brownfield land, London ranks top. The capital’s 4,392 brownfield sites account for 16.5% of the national total, which, if completely redeveloped, could deliver over 235,000 new housing units to the London market. Built Environment networking events in London are actively discussing these opportunities and the potential impact on the housing market.

The West Midlands follows closely, with 2,522 brownfield sites accounting for 9.5% of the national total, with the potential to deliver more than 135,000 new homes. Networking events in the West Midlands are focusing on how to leverage these sites for sustainable development.

Greater Manchester, with 1,971 sites, could also bring over 100,000 new homes to market (105,646). The region’s Built Environment networking events are exploring innovative ways to transform these brownfield sites.

Other counties boasting significant levels of brownfield include South Yorkshire (4%), West Yorkshire (3.8%), Surrey (3.6%), Essex (3.4%), Dorset (2.9%), and Hampshire (2.8%). These areas are also hosting networking events to discuss the potential of brownfield development.

The City of London (0.01%), Rutland (0.02%), and the Isle of Wight (0.3%) are home to the smallest proportion of brownfield sites in England.

The focus on brownfield development is seen as a positive step towards sustainable growth, and the Built Environment Networking events happening in these hotspots are playing a crucial role in bringing together stakeholders to discuss strategies, challenges, and opportunities.

To attend events in relevant areas go to the Built Environment Networking website at https://www.built-environment-networking.com/.

Data supplied by Searchland.