A group of planning, development and environmental bodies has written to decentralization minister Greg Clark urging new National Planning Policy Framework wording on the spatial aspects of brownfield policy, to promote reuse of previously developed land.
The letter was sent by the Royal Town Planning Institute, which has not hitherto played a central role in the brownfield debate and says it is playing an honest broker role now, rather than leading on it.
It says the leading role has been played by the British Property Federation, Campaign to Protect Rural England and National Trust.
It says it is also endorsed by Civic Voice, the Construction Industry Council, National Farmers' Union and Planning Officers' Society.
The letter proposes amendments to paragraphs 19, 109, 110 and 165 of the Draft NPPF, specifying the need to use brownfield before greenfield, requiring a sequential approach to land release and modifying the "presumption in favour of sustainable development" to take account of brownfield status, location, transport effects, conservation etc..
But it makes no reference to concerns about the NPPF's approach to planning for the physical aspects of land contamination or instability, reduced to a bullet point in paragraph 171.
The letter suggests paragraph 19 (core planning principles) should include a bullet point saying that, where local plans are out-of-date, previously developed land should be used before greenfield where suitable and appropriate.
A suggested wording for paragraph 109 on housing supply adds a bullet point requiring a sequential approach prioritizing brownfield.
It suggests a revised wording for the effect of the presumption in paragraph 110 to ensure local plans require housing development to support regeneration and protect the countryside, taking into account transport and conservation needs and using brownfield where it does not have high amenity value.
It says paragraph 165, on the natural environment, should reflect the new paragraph 19.
In the letter, RTPI chief executive Trudi Elliott told Mr Clark that the organisations had worked together to look at previously developed land issues.
"You have indicated that you would welcome suggestions as to wording while officials are working on the final NPPF," she says.
