Brownfield developments

The term 'brownfield land' refers to land that has been used in the past for industrial purposes. Developing brownfield sites is one of the key mechanisms for remediating land impacted by its industrial past.

After introducing the topic, this section examines the current political climate and the main brownfield development drivers in place following the abandonment of national targets.

Topics of land remediation relief and the 'build now, pay later' scheme are then explored in a series of helpful FAQs, before the stages in a contaminated land assessment are outlined, and the key points summarised in a conclusion.

This section is maintained by Jamie Mills, Director of environmental consultancy Wedg.

Document template: Contamination and environmental matters: property observation checklists

Document template: Environmental impact assessment checklist

Feature: Asbestos: reducing risk in soil on brownfield sites

Feature: Brownfield redevelopment: preventing delays

isurv section: Environmental considerations

RICS research: Making more brownfield land available for housing (RICS)