Brownfield Land

The term 'Brownfield Land' refers to land that is or was occupied by a permanent structure that has become vacant, underused or derelict and has redevelopment potential.

Land that has not been developed in the past, such as parks, recreational grounds and allotments, are not classified as brownfield.

There are cases where the remnants of a structure, such as a barn, become so well integrated into the land that they are no longer considered a separate structure and are therefore not classified as brownfield.

Brownfield sites will have been used for a wide range of industrial process and many therefore possess varying degrees of contamination. A comprehensive investigation will be necessary to ascertain the nature of the contamination and decide how best to deal with it. Depending on the level of contamination this could be a very expensive procedure and it is a factor that needs to be considered before any redevelopment of brownfield land is made.

The level of brownfield land sites in the UK is constantly changing as land is abandoned and reclaimed. Until the 1980s, the number of brownfield sites had been increasing at a dramatic rate but there was later an enormous need for and lack of suitable brownfield sites.