Issue details

Purpose

1.    The purpose of this report is:

a.    To agree the Greater Cambridge Brownfield Register 2020 to be published on the Councils’ websites. The register will comprise a spreadsheet (Appendix 1 of this decision) and accompanying spatial data.

2.    The Executive Member for Planning Policy and Open Spaces at Cambridge City Council is also being asked to agree the Greater Cambridge Brownfield Register 2020 via a parallel decision.

Greater Cambridge Brownfield Register and national guidelines

3.    The government’s Planning Practice Guidance sets out clear parameters for the compilation and publication of brownfield land registers.

4.    The purpose of brownfield land registers is to provide up-to-date and consistent information on sites that local authorities consider to be appropriate for residential development having regard to the criteria set out in national regulations. Registers should be published locally as open data and will provide transparent information about suitable and available sites.

5.    National regulations require local planning authorities in England to prepare, maintain and publish registers of previously developed (brownfield) land. Previously developed land is defined in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Previously developed land is referred to as brownfield land.

6.    Brownfield land registers can contain two parts. Part 1 comprises all brownfield sites that a local planning authority has assessed as appropriate for residential development. This will include sites with extant full or outline planning permission, prior approval permissions, allocations in the adopted Local Plans and Area Action Plans, and sites with permission in principle. Part 2 is a subset of Part 1 and comprises only those sites in Part 1 where the local planning authority has decided that the land would be suitable for a grant of permission in principle for residential development. The Greater Cambridge Brownfield Register does not include a Part 2, as no sites with permission in principle meet the criteria for inclusion on the brownfield land register.

7.    Sites should be included in the register where they are at least 0.25 hectares in area or are capable of supporting at least five dwellings. Sites must also be suitable and available for residential development. Residential development of the land must be considered achievable (within 15 years). Local planning authorities should also have regard to the development plan, national policies and advice, and any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

8.    Local planning authorities are not required to undertake consultation in relation to sites they propose to include only in Part 1 of registers. However, they are required to review and update the register at least annually.

9.    The information to be included in brownfield land registers is set out in national regulations. The format requirements are set out in the brownfield land register data standard published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Local planning authorities are encouraged to publish their Register in this format to enable compliance with requests for information issued by the Secretary of State.

10.The Greater Cambridge Brownfield Register has been compiled in line with Planning Practice Guidance. It contains details of about 80 sites in each of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire. The previous registers have been reviewed. Existing entries have been removed or amended as appropriate to reflect development activity on these sites. Recent planning decisions have been examined to identify new entries for the Register. The final register includes only sites with planning permission or allocations in the adopted plans.

11.The Greater Cambridge Brownfield Register contains two registers. One covers Cambridge and the other covers South Cambridgeshire. They are published as separate worksheets within the same spreadsheet. This approach is considered to be consistent with other monitoring work undertaken by the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service.

Next Steps

12.Once agreed by the Cabinet Member for Planning at South Cambridgeshire District Council and the Executive Member for Planning Policy at Cambridge City Council, the Greater Cambridge Brownfield Register 2020 will be published on both Councils’ websites.