Over 190,000 Homes Could be Built on Brownfield Land in the West Midlands

New research from CPRE, the countryside charity, reveals that there are brownfield sites with space for over 191,000 new homes in the West Midlands Region – and some 60% of these homes already have full or outline planning permission, meaning that they could be built rapidly.

This means that the West Midlands’ target of 215,000 houses over the 5-year period of the present Parliament, set by the Labour government in December 2024, can be achieved with minimal encroachment on greenfield land. Building on greenfield land, rather than repurposing brownfield sites, contributes to the degradation of our already nature-depleted landscapes and threatens the ecosystems that play a crucial role in combating climate change.

In Coventry and Warwickshire, council registers indicate there is space for 17,597 new dwellings on Brownfield sites. And strikingly, the City of Birmingham has capacity for 115,327 houses on brownfield sites. This means that Birmingham, which has a reduced housing target from the government (38 percent lower than the pre-2024 target), can provide capacity for some of the new housing that Councils with Green Belt are being told to supply land for.

Mark Sullivan, Warwickshire CPRE’s Technical Secretary, said:

“The West Midlands’ supply of brownfield land should be the first port of call for building the homes this country desperately needs. These sites are typically located near existing infrastructure, such as public transport, schools, and health services, making them ideal for new homes.

“Prioritising brownfield sites would allow for quicker timelines compared to greenfield development. A ‘brownfield-first’ approach would not only provide new housaes more quickly, but also maximise use of public transport, reduce the amount of car travel, and minimise the environmental impact compared with greenfield and Green Belt housing.”

The new data from Local Authority brownfield registers is up to date, using 2024 figures.

Brownfield land is a constantly renewing resource, and more sites are coming forward all the time, as more land in town centres becomes available and opportunities arise to redevelop town centre office space for apartments, convert upper floors over shops to homes, and redevelop land-wasting retail parks for housing.

CPRE is calling on the Housing and Communities Secretary, Steve Reed, to:

• Enforce a brownfield-first policy for new housing, including by focusing Homes England investment on brownfield sites and rejecting speculative greenfield development
• Ensure that planning authorities regularly update their brownfield registers to show land available
• Set ambitious and enforceable targets for both affordable and social homes on brownfield sites.