There is the capacity for at least one million new homes on brownfield sites in England, according to a report from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

The report also makes a series of recommendations that would make brownfield land more attractive to developers and encourage local authorities to do more to identify suitable sites.

With estimates for brownfield capacity previously ranging from 200,000 to 1.8 million, the report provides the first figure for brownfield capacity since the end of mandatory local authority submissions to the National Land Use Database (NLUD) in 2010.

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976,000 new homes could be built on identified brownfield sites, however the researchers noted that even this figure underestimates suitable land as it only identifies land already derelict or with planning permission.

Paul Miner, planning campaign manager at the CPRE, said: "This research demonstrates the huge existing capacity for housing on brownfield land. At a time when there is great pressure on our green spaces, utilising this land through a brownfield first policy would protect our countryside and regenerate urban areas.

"We want this new, authoritative evidence to lead to a sustained focus on suitable brownfield land. We can and must do more to get these sites redeveloped, whether it be reviving the National Land Use Database or implementing strong local plans to deal with multiple landowners on difficult sites."

(CD/JP)