The Issues of Greenfield v. The Issues of Greenfield v. Brownfield Sites for Housing Brownfield Sites for Housing

DevelopmentsDevelopments

Where would be the Where would be the best site for best site for

housing in our local housing in our local areaarea

Would it be on a Would it be on a Greenfield site or a Greenfield site or a

Brownfield site?Brownfield site?

What is Meant by the Terms What is Meant by the Terms Brownfield and Greenfield Brownfield and Greenfield

Sites?Sites?Very simple this:Very simple this:

Brownfield- A site that has been built on before. Brownfield- A site that has been built on before. Normally associated with urban areasNormally associated with urban areas

Greenfield- Sites that have not been built on Greenfield- Sites that have not been built on before. Often rural/ countryside areas.before. Often rural/ countryside areas.

The government tends to favour Brownfield The government tends to favour Brownfield sites. The reason for this is that they improve sites. The reason for this is that they improve run-down areas, but also due to the fact that run-down areas, but also due to the fact that people really dislike seeing new land being people really dislike seeing new land being used for development.used for development.

Greenfield and Brownfield Greenfield and Brownfield IssuesIssues

• You have been given a sheet You have been given a sheet with a list of issues relating to with a list of issues relating to Greenfield and Brownfield sitesGreenfield and Brownfield sites

• However, they are all mixed up. However, they are all mixed up. You need to separate the You need to separate the statements into the following statements into the following categoriescategories Brownfield PositiveBrownfield Positive Brownfield NegativeBrownfield Negative Greenfield Positive Greenfield Positive Greenfield NegativeGreenfield Negative

• You need to decide on a way to You need to decide on a way to categorise and display the categorise and display the information when you write the information when you write the statements out. Are you going to statements out. Are you going to write them in columns? Spider write them in columns? Spider diagrams with some sort of diagrams with some sort of colour coding? It is up to you. colour coding? It is up to you.

• The statements are provided on The statements are provided on the following slide for discussion the following slide for discussion

Photo used with permission of Jacky Wilson, Winchester City Council

Photo used with permission of Flickr user Denis Defreyne under a under a Creative Commons attribution license.

Greenfield v. Brownfield IssuesGreenfield v. Brownfield Issues• Brownfield redevelopment eases pressure on Greenfield sites and is more Brownfield redevelopment eases pressure on Greenfield sites and is more

sustainablesustainable• Greenfield sites are often on the edge of towns and cities and may have better Greenfield sites are often on the edge of towns and cities and may have better

access, have less congestion, be in a more pleasant environment and have more access, have less congestion, be in a more pleasant environment and have more space and room to expandspace and room to expand

• House prices would increase in inner city areas as people are encouraged back to House prices would increase in inner city areas as people are encouraged back to the area. This might mean that local people can not afford the houses, and the the area. This might mean that local people can not afford the houses, and the council will have the problem of providing for themcouncil will have the problem of providing for them

• Infrastructure already exists in urban areas- in Greenfield sites new drainage, Infrastructure already exists in urban areas- in Greenfield sites new drainage, electricity, roads etc. would all have to be producedelectricity, roads etc. would all have to be produced

• Light industry and things like Science Parks favour out of town locations on Light industry and things like Science Parks favour out of town locations on Greenfield sites-they prefer them to Brownfield sites, and crucially so do their Greenfield sites-they prefer them to Brownfield sites, and crucially so do their workers who are happier to live away from urban areasworkers who are happier to live away from urban areas

• New employment opportunities if Brownfield sites are developedNew employment opportunities if Brownfield sites are developed• New housing can lead to gentrification (old housing done up- area becomes more New housing can lead to gentrification (old housing done up- area becomes more

trendy and affluent) so the area will improve and things like crime rates will trendy and affluent) so the area will improve and things like crime rates will improveimprove

• New sites are easier to build on as there is a fresh start, where remains of previous New sites are easier to build on as there is a fresh start, where remains of previous land use do not need to be cleared and is more attractive to retail parks, housing land use do not need to be cleared and is more attractive to retail parks, housing developers etc.developers etc.

• Providing public transport networks is easier in central areas where the population Providing public transport networks is easier in central areas where the population densities are high- investment is focussed in central areasdensities are high- investment is focussed in central areas

• There is an issue of contamination and making sites safe for development, given There is an issue of contamination and making sites safe for development, given what the land may have been used for beforewhat the land may have been used for before

• Towns and cities do not want their areas to decay- redevelopment results in more Towns and cities do not want their areas to decay- redevelopment results in more people coming to the area, which helps local businesses. Building on Greenfield people coming to the area, which helps local businesses. Building on Greenfield sites ‘sucks’ out the core from towns as shop etc. locate on the edge of tons/citiessites ‘sucks’ out the core from towns as shop etc. locate on the edge of tons/cities

• Using Greenfield sites is not sustainable- there is too much pressure on the rural-Using Greenfield sites is not sustainable- there is too much pressure on the rural-urban fringe and the use of Brownfield sites has to be a better optionurban fringe and the use of Brownfield sites has to be a better option

The TaskThe Task

Groups 1 & 2:Groups 1 & 2: You have got to argue You have got to argue the case for putting the case for putting houses on a site houses on a site recently made available recently made available on the landfill site at on the landfill site at Horsea Island in grid Horsea Island in grid square 6304square 6304

Groups 3 & 4:Groups 3 & 4:

You have got to You have got to argue the case for argue the case for putting houses west putting houses west of Waterlooville in of Waterlooville in grid square 6709grid square 6709

Having understood the Greenfield and Brownfield issues you have been given the task to find a suitable place for building new houses in the Portsmouth area

Group 5 & 6:You have a free choice! Explain you decisions fully

Complete the first task on the sheet, and then your group needs to prepare the proposal and consider the following things:

What are the advantages of your site? What are the potential disadvantages of your site? What issues are likely to arise? Is it a Brownfield or Greenfield site?

Watch/Listen to Watch/Listen to the the

Presentations/VidPresentations/Videos and follow-up eos and follow-up

taskstasks• Listen to the presentations and Listen to the presentations and

be prepared to question the be prepared to question the other groups’ proposalsother groups’ proposals

• Which group had the best Which group had the best presentation and why? presentation and why?

• Which site was the best and Which site was the best and why?why?

• Which site was the worst and Which site was the worst and why?why?

• What are your general views What are your general views on the Greenfield v. Brownfield on the Greenfield v. Brownfield debate?debate?

• I deliberately chose the site to I deliberately chose the site to the west of Waterlooville as a the west of Waterlooville as a possible site for development possible site for development as this is exactly what is going as this is exactly what is going to happen over the coming to happen over the coming years. We will examine this in years. We will examine this in more detail next lesson. more detail next lesson.

Illustrative Masterplan of the new West of Waterlooville development, used with permission of Winchester City Council.

(Map for IWB annotation)(Map for IWB annotation)

(Map for IWB annotation)(Map for IWB annotation)