UAI research17 Mar 2021 16:12
Found this from 02-02-21.
"Is this country is getting overcrowded?
It is considered that the UK population is expected to grow by 7% to some 72m people by 2040.
That will add to the pressure that our cities, towns and villages have to offer by way of infrastructure such as public places, amenities, services and of course new homes.
Planners and developers now need to take in mind how they will cope with new living, working and social behaviours.
As the population continues to grow over the next couple of decades, it is apparent that well over the Government’s aim of 300,000 new homes a year will be required.
It is believed that more than half of the UK land area is farmland, such as fields and orchards, while just over a third is natural or semi-natural, such as moors, heathland, and natural grassland.
Some 5.9% is built on, such as roads, buildings, airports and quarries, with around 2.5% being classed as green urban, like parks, community gardens, golf courses and sports pitches.
Whilst having one of the highest population densities in Europe, it is interesting to note that the actual amount of land taken up by homes and gardens across the UK is a little over 5% - 12,700 sq.km out of the total UK land of 244,000 sq.km.
So where is the land to come from for the residential developers to complete their growingly important task?
Much of the land that was once used for industry in this country now lies redundant. Planners call it ‘‘brownfield’ land’ and everyone is keen to see it brought back to life.
As it is usually located in urban plots it is ideal for housing, so planners look very favourably on ‘‘brownfield’’ redevelopment proposals.
In the UK a ‘‘brownfield’’ site is defined as ‘previously developed land’ that has the potential for being redeveloped. It is often land that has been used for industrial and commercial purposes and is now derelict and possibly contaminated. The UK is committed to developing ’brownfield’ sites as a priority.
That includes land or buildings that are not currently in use, either vacant, abandoned, and/or contaminated. The term usually refers to former industrial sites in urban areas that may need cleaning up before they can be redeveloped.
Many ‘brownfield’ sites are located in existing towns and cities. That means that much of the infrastructure needed for new homes, such as transport and utilities, is already in place, which can obviously reduce developer costs and timescales.
Professional land developers find that it can also be possible to gain planning permission on ‘brownfield’ sites in the countryside, especially if those sites are a nuisance or cause an eyesore. Plots on the edge of settlements are often the first that councils consider for new housing, particularly if that settlement is set to expand.
Substantial ‘brownfield’ sites, such as former hospitals or other government land, are often targeted for large-scale housing developments.
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