Floods must not stop development

The recent floods that have battered the UK have resulted in fingers pointed in all directions. Planners, politicians and developers have all faced criticism, but David Fenton, head of residential development for Knight Frank in the Midlands, argues that brownfield developments are not to blame and the recent floods will not affect further development across the region.

In a move which will spark debate both within and outside of the property industry Mr Fenton has decided to speak up in defence of the importance of building on brownfield land, both to protect the greenbelt and to supply the increasing demand for new homes.

He says: “As a matter of coincidence Gordon Brown has chosen to put the housing issue at the top of his priorities as new-PM, just as the region is experiencing its worst flooding in living memory. We have all witnessed the damage to properties and businesses and the issue of brownfield versus greenfield development has come to the fore again.

“Away from the heated debate of building on flood plains, the regeneration of brownfield sites will continue unaffected by the recent events. Building new homes on these sites provides many benefits for the region both environmentally and economically. In fact, the Government’s target of 60 per cent of new developments to be built on previously developed land and through conversion of existing buildings has been met eight years ahead of schedule, and there is no sign of this slowing down.”

The benefits for the area are two fold. The advantage of minimising the development on greenfield sites, many of which are acting as flood defences for the towns and cities of the region, helps preserve the identity and integrity of the communities. While the economic benefits of regenerating brownfield sites, especially in central areas, promotes private and public investment and creating sustainable communities in otherwise neglected areas.

There is no doubt that the combination of the housing issue being high on the political agenda and the result of the flood chaos has emphasised the need for developers to look at the impact of climate change and how it affects communities. This includes the importance of choosing sites carefully and making sure these issues are considered during the planning stages, obtaining advice from the professionals and carefully considering both the site layout and the layout of homes which may lie near to a potential flood plain.

Mr Fenton concluded: “Current policy requires a flood risk assessment to be undertaken in cases where proposed development occurs in areas at risk of flooding. Following this years flooding larger and wider areas may now be captured by the “at risk” category. This will have an impact on the extent and design of residential scheme in affected areas.

“The complex and often heated arguments surrounding the issue of greenfield development will rage on and on, however, the regeneration of brownfield sites remains important and it is vital this continues in order to provide sustainability and growth for the region.”