"The Policy Exchange think tank claims Britain needs 442,000 new homes built a year to turn the tide and make any real progress or improvement to our chronic lack of housing supply issues, so factoring brownfield sites into new government housing agendas is indeed a smart and critical move"
- Elliot Vure - Together
As the government launches its housing reforms package, including a focus on repurposing and developing the UK’s existing brownfield sites and transformation of commercial buildings including disused shops and offices into homes without planning permission – insight from property lender, Together highlights broad support for this idea and other green improvements needed to solve the UK’s housing and energy crisis.
19% of property professionals want more Government support for brownfield development pre–General Election this year, according to Together.
And:
25% want government support on the regeneration of disused buildings/sites
18% see meeting new EPC standards as the biggest challenge this year.
21% want more tax benefits and initiatives to support commercial property market growth
18% said better access to finance to meet retrofitting plans should be a Gov priority pre-election.
A separate analysis by Together using Searchland’s valuation data finds the potential for 175,602 new homes in Yorkshire alone, holds a potential development value of £53.2bn. This highlights the scale of potential for the rest of the UK which would finally address country-wide housing shortages and give developers and investors the opportunity to breathe new life into communities and revitalise our cities and landscapes.
Elliot Vure, Director of Corporate Sales at Together commented: “Solving the UK’s housing crisis is fast becoming a central issue in the build-up to General Election. Plans to expedite planning permission laws and unlock newfound residential opportunities by zoning in on brownfield sites would see more people able to access the property ladder and – so long as developers are able to fund EPC retrofitting costs – help alleviate some of the pressure around meeting climate targets.
“The Policy Exchange think tank claims Britain needs 442,000 new homes built a year to turn the tide and make any real progress or improvement to our chronic lack of housing supply issues, so factoring brownfield sites into new government housing agendas is indeed a smart and critical move.
"This would not only provide a solution; by levelling up in the regions to deliver growth and prosperity for future generations but also act as a clear reminder as to how important the UK’s abandoned buildings are - not just as a valuable and energy-conscious resource for housing but also a source of civic pride.
“Our data shows that there are opportunities out there for developers to meet this aim by re-using unloved and abandoned wasteland. However, what we need is a coordinated and common-sense approach from funders, developers, and local council planning departments if we’re going to address the issue of housing supply on a large scale.”
