Strengthening Planning Policy for Brownfield Development

Dorset CPRE sent a response to the government’s open consultation on strengthening Planning Policy for Brownfield Development

We focused our response on the proposals contained within Section 2 – Giving significant weight to the benefits of delivering homes on Brownfield land. Ensuring that local housing need is met firstly through the redevelopment of previously developed sites before considering the development of Greenfields is a subject close to our heart. The Port of Poole has a significant number of previously developed sites including the former Poole Power Station. This Brownfield site, allocated in the Local Plan to provide housing and employment land and subject to numerous planning applications for re-development, still sits vacant whilst precious land in the Green Belt has been released for development instead to meet Poole’s housing need.

As a broad principle we support a Brownfield first, Greenfield last approach to development and strongly believe that wherever possible it is better re-purpose already developed urban land and buildings to meet the country’s housing needs than to build on green fields.