News & Articles

An interesting article by Steven Porter and Sam Wardleworth of Pinsent Masons makes the case that:

There are several areas in which the law governing landfill tax in England and Northern Ireland could be clarified so that the tax better supports the government’s environmental objectives, including achieving zero avoidable waste by 2050.

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Exciting to see the first phase of this residential development approach completion. We have been on site regularly from early on and have just completed verification for the first phase.

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Here looking from an area of public realm towards the site.

The report looks at the practical issues and economics of brownfield development  with the aim of encouraging a positive approach to the subject by government, local authorities, developers and construction and property professionals. The EIC has this to say:

The UK’s rich industrial heritage, rising population and a constrained space makes the reuse of previously developed or brownfield land an essential part of the delivery of new developments throughout the UK. Further establishing this need, Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) has launched the report, Brownfield First: making better use of our land, drawing on long-term expertise to identify ways in which development on brownfield land can be sustainably increased benefitting the environment and the economy.

While currently only 10-20% of development in the UK takes place on sites classified as brownfield, the latest statistics from the Homes and Communities Agency indicates that there is approximately 61,920 ha of brownfield land in England, with 54% considered derelict or vacant while the remainder is in some form of use with potential for redevelopment. DCLG figures (2010) suggests approximately 35,000 ha of this brownfield land is suitable for housing development, further establishing the potential of brownfield in creating sustainable communities combining housing, retail, as well as commercial or industrial development.

Brownfield First: making better use of our land is the latest is a series of EIC work on sustainable development, and contaminated land, a portfolio of work existing since EIC’s founding in 1995.

http://www.eic-uk.co.uk/eic-report-brownfield-first-making-better-use-of-our-land-/129/2/1/392

As stated by Peter Atchison, Chairman of EIC Contaminated Land Working Group, “Brownfield first offers the practical solution to two issues facing the UK: the need for more sustainable development and use of previously developed site.”

Recent reports have suggested that brownfield land has the capacity to support over 1.8 million new homes, yet despite this recent Government figures show a decline in the proportion of homes being built on such land.

It also includes before and after pictures of one of our projects!

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Hundreds of thousands of new homes will be built on derelict and unused land through a £1.8 billion package of investment to regenerate land and level up across the country, announced by the Chancellor in his Budget and Spending Review.

£300 million of locally-led grant funding will be awarded to Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Authorities to unlock smaller brownfield sites for housing, promoting inner city regeneration and protecting the countryside.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak has said: “We are investing in better quality, safer, greener and more affordable homes to create thriving places where people want to live. One of my favourite pastimes is to go for walks in the park with my family, and I want to make sure everyone has green space on their doorstep to enjoy too. Transforming our unloved and neglected urban spaces will help protect our cherished countryside and green spaces, while improving the physical and mental health of our communities.”

A new £9 million Levelling Up Parks Fund that will enable Local Authorities to transform over 100 neglected urban spaces across the UK into ‘pocket parks’, providing small green oasis in built up areas, roughly the size of a tennis court, in built-up locations.

We warmly welcome any moves to ensure that urban regeneration is promoted in a sustainable way that greens our environment, fosters bio-diversity and improves the quality of life.

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There has been a dramatic drop in new residential projects on land that had already been developed, from 40% in 2014, to just 20% in 2018.

EIC argues in their recent launch that brownfield development can help meet ambitions around levelling up, but in order to do so further planning reforms, as well as new tax reliefs and development incentives, are required.

The proposals in the report for the greenfield surcharge, which would be added to the infrastructure levy proposed in recent planning changes, would see the funds earmarked by local authorities for infrastructure spending to help mitigate the higher development costs often associated with brownfield.

Commenting on Brownfield First, Matthew Farrow, director of policy at EIC, says: “Our analysis shows that developers are making significantly less use of brownfield, yet there is huge potential for it to deliver ambitions around levelling up. Not only can it help find the space for 300,000 homes a year, but it can also funnel new investment to those traditionally underfunded post-industrial towns, cities and communities.

“Our practical, common-sense proposal around a greenfield surcharge would revitalise brownfield development, help to deliver homes, and ensure that we are making the most of this chronically underused asset.”

Additionally the report seeks improvements to the economic viability of marginal brownfield projects by increasing land remediation tax relief on sites with fewer than 25 units, and to update the definition of derelict land to incorporate all sites that have been abandoned for more than a decade.

Finally, it argues that new funding earmarked for levelling-up, either through the new National Infrastructure Bank or the Levelling Up Fund, should specifically favour brownfield proposals over greenfield.

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The Construction Leadership Council has announced CO2nstruct Zero a programme to drive carbon out of all parts of the construction sector, from manufacturing and design to construction and operation. This move is intended to highlight those priorities that the industry must tackle in order to reduce carbon.

This is with the aim of ensuring that the construction sector to play its part in achieving the UK government’s objective of net zero for the whole economy by 2050.

Find out more >>

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Every site is different some however are more memorable than others. We have recently completed a phase 1 walkover and desktop report for this former chapel or tin tabernacle, thus nicknamed for the obvious reason they were clad and roofed in corrugated metal sheeting. This one has been used as a store for domestic items for some years and it now looking rather sad.

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SE London NHS CCG commission new mental health support service for adults in south east London

• NHS South East London CCG has commissioned Qwell, the UK’s leading provider of digital mental health support.
• Qwell, delivered by Kooth, is accessible for anyone over 26 in the area, with no referrals, waiting lists or thresholds to meet.
• Kooth has seen an increased demand for mental health support from adults across the UK due to Covid-19.

NHS South East London Clinical Commissioning Group has commissioned Qwell, a free anonymous online counselling and emotional wellbeing service for adults from digital mental health pioneers Kooth.  

Qwell is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and offers early preventative care and support without any prior thresholds to meet.
Read more and find out how to access support here

On the 29 January 2021 the Secretary of State wrote to the Mayor confirming that he is content for the Mayor’s new London Plan to be formally published, with no further changes. 

The Mayor will now progress to formally publish the new London Plan. This will take a few weeks, in order to allow for statutory notifications to be issued alongside other administrative tasks.

We have been involved in this project from the start, and first visited site on 16 January 2017 to undertake a site walkover for our phase 1 desktop study. Subsequently we undertook an intrusive investigation and produced a remediation strategy to deal with the contamination identified.

We returned recently to undertake verification sampling in the gardens of the completed project. It is a truly splendid building, more details can be found on Simon Gill Architects website. If you want to see the interior and follow the development you can watch the Grand Designs episode of More 4

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Artist’s impression by kind permission of Simon Gill Architects

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Artist’s impression by kind permission of Simon Gill Architects

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“Before” when we undertook our walkover in January 2017