Brownfield sites register

What is a brownfield site / previously developed land?

The Government defines brownfield sites (or ‘previously developed land’) as land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land and any associated fixed surface infrastructure (Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework, 2023).

Brownfield sites do not include:

• land occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings
• certain minerals and waste disposal sites where restoration plans are in place
• land in built-up areas such as private residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments
• land where the previous development has blended into the landscape.

About the register

Local planning authorities in England are required to prepare, maintain and publish registers of previously developed (brownfield) land (Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Register) Regulations 2017).

Brownfield land registers provide up-to-date and consistent information on sites that local authorities consider to be appropriate for residential development. Within the New Forest National Park it therefore only includes sites within the defined villages of Ashurst, Sway, Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst; brownfield sites allocated for residential development within the adopted development plan for the National Park; or brownfield sites with extant planning permission that have yet to be completed. Registers are published locally as open data and provide transparent information about suitable and available sites.

Registers can have two parts:

• Part 1 comprises all brownfield sites appropriate for residential development, including sites with extant full planning permission, outline planning permission and permission in principle as well as sites without planning permission

• Part 2 comprises only those sites in Part 1 that the local planning authority has decided that the land would be suitable for granting permission in principle for residential development.

We don’t currently consider any sites suitable for Part 2.

The register is being reviewed once a year in December. Data about completed development is based on the Annual Monitoring Report which is also being published every year in December and reflects data as of end of March in the respective year.

What is included in the register?

The National Park Authority’s brownfield register as of December 2023 includes a total of 38 sites (37 sites in 2022), including 18 sites that have now been developed and are no longer to be considered brownfield land. However, according to government guidance land that has been built on should remain on the register for historical reasons and not be deleted.

The exact location of the sites can be identified by geographical coordinates (ETRS89 format) and can be viewed here.

The register also includes information about size, ownership, planning status and planning history of the brownfield site.
The register can be viewed and downloaded below.

Find out more

Please contact the Policy and Conservation Team on 01590 646600 or policy@newforestnpa.gov.uk to discuss the brownfield land register.