What are the advantages of building on a brownfield site?
Many towns and cities across the UK have abandoned warehouses, developments and sites. These are called brownfield sites. There are many advantages of brownfield sites, including sustainability to local economic and social regeneration, as well as benefits to developers, including easier planning permission and cost-effectiveness.
There have been many successful developments on brownfield sites, including Kings Cross Central in London, one of the largest regeneration schemes in Europe that saw 67 acres of brownfield land redeveloped. Another successful brownfield development in the UK is the area around Manchester City’s stadium.
What is a brownfield site?
A brownfield site is any land that has been previously developed but is no longer in use. More than 300,000 new homes need to be built in the UK each year, and pressure is mounting on developers to find new sites for development. Brownfield sites purpose idle, derelict and vacant land and buildings instead of developing on untouched or often protected greenfield sites. Cleaning up and reinventing previously developed combines environmental benefits with economic development and social improvement. Brownfields are typically located in urban and suburban areas. Building on brownfield sites can help clean up cities, grow suburbs and help alleviate pressure to build in untouched green spaces.
What are the advantages of building on a brownfield site?
Cost Efficient
Brownfield sites have the potential for cost savings and maximum return on investment. As most brownfield sites are in cities or towns, much of the infrastructure needed for development is already nearby. This infrastructure includes road networks, electricity and water networks, and amenities.
Many brownfield sites also have existing buildings, and depending on their state and structure, these could be repurposed, further lowering the cost to developers.
However, some brownfield sites can have contaminated land and building. The cost of decontaminating these can be high, but developers have significant tax relief when they do this. The Land Remediation Relief is an enhanced corporation tax relief of 150% for qualifying expenditure on cleaning up contamination in land or buildings. This can be a huge saving for developers who choose to build on brownfield sites.
One of the biggest benefits of building on a brownstone site is that it is much more sustainable than a greenfield site. The UK Sustainable Development Strategy advocates using brownfield sites to further the UK’s advancement into sustainable regeneration.
There is a lack of available developed land in the UK, but there are over 400,000 hectares of contaminated land across the country.
Due to most greenfield sites being near cities or towns, building here can also reduce commuting distance as amenities and workplaces are nearby.
Social and Economic Revitalisation
Derelict buildings, warehouses and land can often be a safety hazard and look unappealing. Building on brownfield sites offers sustainable, social and economic benefits to the surrounding cities and towns. Redevelopment of brownfield sites can motivate community regeneration, particularly when communities are bought into the early stages of planning and development.
Large brownfield sites can provide affordable housing, create employment opportunities, promote conservation efforts and add new social areas, such as playgrounds, playing fields or sitting areas.
Makes it easier to get planning permission
Local authorities often consider the regeneration of brownfield areas as a positive thing for their local area. They often feel that the sites are a hazard or an eye sore, so planning permission is usually easier to receive. Campaigners have been calling on the government to favour the development of brownfield sites over greenfield to leave the countryside protected.
It is also usually easier to get planning permission on previously built-on land, making it easier for developers.
Overall, building on a brownfield site has many advantages for developers. Many local authorities support regeneration in their communities, making it easier for developers to gain planning permission. In addition, the UK government has tax relief systems in place for developers looking to support the decontamination of brownfield sites across the UK. The sustainability and climate benefits of brownfield sites also can’t be overlooked; protecting the countryside and green spaces is important. When managed properly, the advantages of building on a brownfield site are massive.
Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underutilized, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use.
are typically located in urban and suburban areas. Building on brownfield sites can help clean up cities, grow suburbs and help alleviate pressure to build in untouched green spaces.
Pros: Redeveloping a Brownfield site not only boosts the economy by creating jobs and lifting property prices, but it improves the environment and creates a safer, healthier space. Bringing a Brownfield site back into use prevents 'urban sprawl' thereby reducing traffic.
Environmental cleanup of brownfields can remediate the contaminated soil and water and improve the natural environment and public health. Brownfield redevelopment in urban infill locations reduces the need for additional greenfield development.
Evaluation. It is better not to build on greenfield sites as they clean the air and keep pollution under control, which is hard as a city because it is always expanding for more housing and employment to balance out the workforce however it is also an advantage as there is more space for population growth.
The facility may be old and, therefore, require high maintenance and upkeep cost. There may be operational inefficiencies if the facility cannot be adapted to new production needs. There may be scalability and expansion issues related to using already constructed facilities.
While redevelopment costs may be significant for brownfield sites, development projects can be profitable for both developers and for local economies in general. Brownfield sites can be good locations for residential, commercial, industrial or other purposes.
The cons. Brownfield sites must be assessed for hazardous compounds by an experienced environmental consultant and any identified contaminants must be removed (by remediation) before they can be redeveloped. This presents both time and cost implications for potential developers.
Brownfields can—and should—be redeveloped. These properties can be utilized for a wide variety of purposes. They have, for example, been successfully turned into retail sites, office parks, schools, parks, and housing developments.
Examples include lands that are formerly used for commercial and industrial purposes, such as former gas stations, former dry cleaning establishments, metal plating facilities, abandoned factories, former factories, and landfills, among others.
Cost. A brownfield site's potential costs can be higher when compared to a greenfield due to the cleaning of the area that may be required to start the construction. It's more affordable to start building from scratch on a greenfield than on a brownfield.
Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underutilized, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and land developers within different countries.
Brownfield sites often have a history of industrial activity, potentially leaving behind environmental concerns like dust emissions, water runoff, and waste management issues. Outdated or inadequate control systems can exacerbate these issues, making it challenging to adhere to ever-evolving environmental regulations.
Increased frequency and intensity of flooding at potentially contaminated brownfields, like abandoned gas stations, can affect groundwater levels, equipment and move surface and subsurface contamination. Paved areas without spaces to safely manage contaminant movement or to direct stormwater can increase risks.
As brownfield site are often located in existing towns and cities, 'Much of the infrastructure needed for development, such as road networks, electricity networks and amenities, is already in place, which can reduce developer costs and timescales,' Evolution 5 elaborates.
Brownfield sites are generally a better option when the following factors are desired: Government funding for off-setting redevelopment costs. Prior completion of environmental remediation. Proximity to urban centers and consumer markets.
Brownfield sites are typically centrally located within a community and connect to existing infrastructure. The redevelopment of existing sites reduces sprawl and the amount of impervious surface expansion along with many other environmental benefits.
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