An unlimited supply of brownfield redevelopment opportunities

Here at CPRE Hertfordshire we believe there is an almost unlimited supply of brownfield redevelopment opportunities. We’d like to see Councils and town centre property owners collaborate to identify more innovative projects focused on currently active and productive sites, to improve their capacity and utilisation for the benefit of residents and the wider community.

The Government has repeatedly stated it wants to promote a ‘brownfield first’ policy of development. On 15 October 2024, the Minister for Housing and Planning Matthew Pennycook said “The government is committed to a brownfield-first approach to housebuilding, and we have already taken steps to prioritise and fast-track building on previously used urban land through our proposals for a ‘brownfield passport’.” The full Government statement goes on to detail special funding being made available for this purpose.

In other words, the priority is to redevelop sites that have been developed previously, rather than building on greenfield land. Land is a finite and valuable resource, so it’s just good sense to recycle and redevelop it so that it can be better utilised.

Greenfield land i.e. not previously developed, has so many other valuable uses. Absorbing carbon to help mitigate climate change. Growing crops to improve the UK’s food security. Providing a space for our recreation and wellbeing. And providing a home for wildlife and nature. If greenfield land is developed, it can’t provide for these other important needs. And once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

The fallacy of ‘there isn’t any more brownfield here’

Too often, here at CPRE Hertfordshire we hear local Councillors and Council planning officers say “But there isn’t any more brownfield land here, we’ve already built on all the brownfield sites in our district”. They say this as justification for allocating greenfield sites for development in the Green Belt and the wider countryside.

We respectfully disagree and believe this is a fallacy.

Firstly, we know from the brownfield land registers maintained by each district and borough that there is room for at least 20,680 new dwellings on identified brownfield sites across Hertfordshire.

In addition, we think there is an almost unlimited supply of brownfield land in Hertfordshire’s city and town centres, just waiting to be identified for redevelopment. What do we mean by this? Let’s clarify.

Often, people hear ‘brownfield’ and think of a derelict industrial site, or housing that’s fallen into disrepair and unfit for habitation. And perhaps this is the most common definition of a brownfield project. An example is Charrington Place in St Albans, which was previously the Eversheds Printworks. The former industrial site had fallen into disuse before being conceived as a redevelopment opportunity, and is now a mixed-use residential and commercial development near St Albans City rail station.

But brownfield is not just derelict or disused sites. It also includes land that is currently in active and productive use but perhaps not being utilised to its full potential or capacity. We are beginning to see innovative projects that improve and optimise utilisation of this type of site.

A good example is the redevelopment of Amwell End in Ware, East Hertfordshire, completed in 2019.

Amwell End, Ware

Amwell End is situated in Ware’s town centre and the Ware Conservation Area. The River Lea runs just to the north. The Ware railway station is 200 metres to the south, making Amwell End a highly sustainable location.

20 Amwell End was originally a cinema, built in 1911. It later became shops and a nightclub. The building had become shabby and was in poor repair, detracting from the Ware Conservation Area. In 2015 a local developer, Lanes New Homes, submitted a planning application that was ultimately granted permission, to transform the site. The old building would be demolished and a new mixed-use building would house retail units on the ground floor, and 10 residential units on the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd floors.

Soon after the proposal for 20 Amwell End was submitted, another planning application was submitted by Omega Land Holdings for the adjacent property, 4 – 18 Amwell End. This was an undistinguished 1960s three-storey building, in use at the time with commercial units, a private snooker club and 5 residential units. The building was considered to detract from the Conservation Area and from the public space along the River Lea, immediately adjacent to the site. The old building would be demolished and replaced with a modern five-storey building comprising 7 commercial units and 32 residential units. There would also be new landscaping to enhance the river frontage and the River Lea walk.

Overall, the two proposals aimed to use good architectural design and high quality building materials to protect and enhance the Ware Conservation Area, revitalise this part of the town centre, intensify the two sites, and provide much needed housing.

When completed in 2019, the projects were deemed a success, and local residents were pleased with the results. Amwell End is now an attractive and thriving retail area and a pleasant area of the town centre. And there are now 42 residential units across the two sites, whereas before the redevelopment there were five. The outcome is much greater capacity and utilisation of the land area, with greater economic and social benefits derived from the redevelopment.

Another good brownfield example where the site is very much in productive use, is the proposal to redevelop 168 – 192 High Street, Berkhamsted, in Dacorum Borough.

168 – 192 High Street, Berkhamsted

Sorbon Estates acquired the site in 2023. Sorbon specialises in revitalising urban areas and developing infill projects on brownfield sites. The site in Berkhamsted is comprised of four commercial buildings in the centre of town, currently utilised for retail on the ground level and other commercial uses above. The buildings themselves date from the mid-20^th century and lack architectural interest as compared with the many characterful listed and historic buildings nearby. There is no residential or community space in these four buildings. And the rear view of the site is particularly unattractive being comprised of service yards and refuse areas.

Sorbon’s pre-planning application proposal was unveiled at a community engagement session in September 2024. The proposal includes the renovation and refurbishment of the four existing buildings, the addition of one or two storeys to two of the buildings to create residential units, the construction of one new mixed-use residential / commercial building, and the provision of a number of new landscaped public spaces and walkways for community use.

The proposal aims to enhance the visual and architectural character of the site with high quality re-design throughout, while respecting Berkhamsted’s historical charm. The retail spaces would be retained with new, more attractive frontages. Additional new retail space would be created, and entirely new residential provision of circa 60 contemporary apartments would be added.

The northern flank of the site would be transformed, turning the unattractive vehicle and refuse-dominated rear view into more inviting, green landscaped public spaces for the benefit of everyone in the community. The overall objective is an attractive mixed-use commercial, retail, residential, and community site with much improved overall utilisation of the land-area.

While Sorbon’s proposal is still at an early stage, we hope the project is successful.

And we particularly hope to see many more innovative mixed-use town centre redevelopment projects come forward as soon as possible. We want Councils and landowners to think more creatively about the possibilities for redeveloping sites that are currently in use but have potential for much greater capacity and better utilisation.

Brownfield first

We believe there needs to be a ‘brownfield first’ approach with real teeth in it, so that the government and local authorities can enforce the redevelopment of already-developed areas before consenting greenfield development.

Too often, local authorities say “we’ve already done all the brownfield redevelopment we can, there is no more” which is complete nonsense. There is an almost-limitless supply of redevelopment opportunities within cities and towns. Many low-density, sub-optimal spaces would benefit from redevelopment into mixed-use, multi-level commercial-plus-residential-plus-community-spaces.

These are a win:win for everyone. Local communities gain new housing and community facilities close to where people already live and work. The countryside, nature and the environment continue to thrive and are not sacrificed for development.

Without having a strong, enforceable, mandatory brownfield first policy, England will become a nation of ever-expanding urban-sprawl with endless car-dependent suburbs.

Help us support brownfield development and save green fields

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