​Finding a plot for your dream house is always one of the biggest challenges in any project, closely followed by understanding what you can build on that site. Some types of land are generally more suitable for delivering a new home, and a brownfield site could certainly offer strong potential for development. In planning terms,
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Finding a plot for your dream house is always one of the biggest challenges in any project, closely followed by understanding what you can build on that site. Some types of land are generally more suitable for delivering a new home, and a brownfield site could certainly offer strong potential for development.
In planning terms, the government has long made it clear that brownfield sites are the priority and the preferred location for growth, rather than previously undeveloped land. But are they easy to build on, and what do you need to know about this kind of site? Here I’m taking a look at the key considerations to note when building a new home on a brownfield site.
What is a brownfield site?
A brownfield site is a piece of land that has previously been built on. It doesn’t need to have been covered with houses or buildings, but there will have been some previous development on the site. They could be positioned in both urban and rural locations. Generally, however, the development of these sites is intended to be the solution to avoid urban sprawl and development in the countryside, so they will usually be in areas surrounded by other development, but not always.
What are the benefits of building a house on a brownfield site?
It should be assumed that you’ll require full planning permission to build a new home on a brownfield site. If a plot has already been subject to development, there is already a principle established in planning terms. Brownfield sites can therefore offer a smoother journey to securing planning consent over greenfield plots, as it’ll generally be easier to build something on land that has been developed in the past, than one that has not.
A site that has previously been built on is more likely to already have services in place (such as drainage and electricity), than a rural, countryside site. This can offer advantages in both the time and cost of bringing utilities to the land, while also providing greater certainty that this is achievable – especially in comparison to a site that may never have had active services before.
RDA Architects took on the challenge of designing this efficient, contemporary and cost-effective Passivhaus home, located on the site of a former garage. The self build’s architecture is a contemporary rendition of the surrounding mews properties
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