Brownfield Land Register

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Brownfield land is land that has been previously developed. The Government is keen that local councils maximise the use of previously developed land for new housing and are aware of all such sites within their boundaries.

Local authorities are now legally required to produce a Brownfield Register for their area. Sites that can be considered either have to be a minimum of 0.25ha in size or capable of accommodating five or more homes, which can be flats.

The register is kept in two parts:

Part One is now available to view and shows sites categorised as previously developed land which are suitable, available and achievable for residential development. The site plan for each site can be viewed by clicking on the link in the ‘SiteplanURL’ field, column F. A map of all sites on the register can be viewed here. (Online mapping user guide)

Part Two is optional and allows the Council to select sites from Part One and grant permission in principle (PiP) for housing-led development. PiP will establish the fundamental principles of development in terms of the use, location and amount of development. However, planning permission is not granted until Technical Details Consent is applied for and approved by Ipswich Borough Council.

Our register is published under the Open Government Licence and is reviewed at least once a year.

View the latest register (December 2023) - pdf or csv.

The definition of brownfield land

‘Brownfield Land' (previously developed land) is defined in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2019) as:

"Land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land (although it should not be assumed that the whole of the curtilage should be developed) and any associated fixed surface infrastructure. This excludes: land that is or was last occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings; land that has been developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill, where provision for restoration has been made through development management procedures; land in built-up areas such as residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments; and land that was previously developed but where the remains of the permanent structure or fixed surface structure have blended into the landscape."

What happens next?

Sites which meet the definition of brownfield (above) will be assessed in terms of whether they are:

  • Available - capable of development for housing (or housing-led mixed use)  in terms of land ownership, intention to sell or develop the land, and the absence of issues relating to the ownership of the land or other legal impediments which might prevent residential development of the land from taking place;
  • Suitable – sites which are local plan allocations,  already have planning permission for: housing; or mixed development where the main use is housing; or may be appropriate for housing development having regard to the natural environment, heritage assets or local amenity;
  • Achievable – in the opinion of the local planning authority, development is likely to take place within 15 years of the entry date on the register having regard to information that is publically available, and any relevant representations received.

This information will help us decide whether the individual site should be considered suitable for Part 2 of the Brownfield Register and indeed whether the Council wants to produce a Part 2. If a site is accepted for Part 2 it will be given ‘Permission in Principle’ based on the location of the site, the land use and the amount of development.

Sites listed within Part 2 of the Brownfield Land Register are expected to be subject to the approval of further details (‘technical details’) prior to any development taking place.

Important note: If a site appears on part 1 of the register this does not indicate that it will automatically go onto part 2 of the register. Whether a site goes on to part 2 is entirely at the discretion of the council considering the necessary criteria and representations made.