ipswich.gov.uk

The importance of Brownfield sites is not emphasised enough in the Development Plan.

In an urban environment like Ipswich, it is clearly important that maximum use should be made of brownfield sites as a means of meeting housing needs. Brownfield development should be prioritised, but the proposed Strategy carefully lessens the importance given to brownfield development:

(i) The previous 60% target for the development of brownfield land has been deleted.
(ii) The start date for the development of the Ipswich Garden Suburb has been removed and there is no longer a provision that only limited development could take place before 2021.
(iii) Multi-site development is to be allowed in the Garden Suburb, resulting in up to 200 new dwellings to be built each year from 2018.
The outcome of this approach will result in the development of greenfield sites before brownfield land as this will be easier and cheaper for developers. At the same time the re-vitalisation of brownfield land will be delayed.

The National Planning Framework aims "to encourage the effective use of land by re-using land that has been previously developed". The Council should thus be encouraging the maximum use of brownfield sites. Developing brownfield land should run alongside & have priority over developing greenfield sites such as Ipswich Garden Suburb.

To ensure that brownfield land is developed and to preserve agricultural land, the target for brownfield development should be reinstated.