Call to increase protection for greenfield sites
TOO many housing developments are going ahead on greenfield sites when brownfield sites are available and have had public money spent on them, according to campaigners.
Groups across Wales are becoming increasingly concerned by the trend, which reflects the belief of developers that homes built on greenfield sites are more attractive to buyers and therefore more profitable.
Yet Welsh Government planning policy favours building on brownfield sites if possible.
In Caerphilly county borough, local residents have opposed a number of housing developments on farm land they believe should not be taken for homes.
Instead, they point to brownfield sites that have been decontaminated at public expense.
Nigel Dix, an Independent councillor representing Blackwood who has worked with local campaigners, has written to Housing and Local Government Minister Julie James asking her to block all further greenfield developments.
In his letter, Cllr Dix said: “Caerphilly county borough has ample brownfield sites that developers are refusing to develop and invest
in, as they can make more profit busting our LDP [Local Development Plan], by building on greenfield sites.
“Previously a planning inspector found in favour of the applicant, with no regard to the needs of the council’s regeneration strategy or local people.
“This has led to a huge amount of development in the Blackwood and Caerphilly basin area, with the loss of treasured green fields, greater congestion and higher levels of vehicle emissions.”
Cllr Dix added: “Bargoed has a reclaimed brownfield site capable of accommodating up to 500 houses, yet over the last decade only 50 houses have been built in the northern corridor.
“The cost of reclaiming this brownfield site runs into millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.
“The refusal by developers to build in the northern corridor means that the council’s regeneration plan is useless and undeliverable, leaving many communities in the north corridor in poverty, with no hope of investment.”
Cllr Dix argued that a regional LDP should be drawn up with the aim of protecting green spaces that play a vital role in absorbing carbon emissions and ensuring investment in deprived areas.
He calls on Ms James to impose a moratorium on all greenfield developments.
A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “We recognise that not all brownfield land is suitable for redevelopment because of issues such as contamination or biodiversity matters.
“However our national guidance, Planning Policy Wales, clearly advocates the re-use of brownfield land over greenfield sites.
“The most effective way of identifying housing land and controlling new housing development is through LDPs. However, Caerphilly does not have an up-to-date development plan at present.
“There is a notification direction which alerts Welsh Ministers to proposed developments in excess of 150 units not in accordance with adopted development plans and Ministers have powers to call in such applications. We have no plans to change the current arrangements.”