Daniel Singh is a director at Clancy Consulting
The government’s announcement that it plans to build up to 40,000 homes on surplus railway land is a bold, welcome move.
Platform4, a new government-backed development company, is championing local regeneration in areas including Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Cambridge. Across the UK, a wealth of brownfield sites – whether that’s the derelict railway infrastructure the government has its eye on or dormant industrial sites and abandoned goods yards – can be found in prime urban locations close to transport hubs in towns and cities. When regenerated for residential use, these sites offer a more sustainable, community-conscious way to tackle the housing crisis.
“It’s as much about what’s underground as what’s above – hidden challenges can make or break project viability”
They can become vibrant, green, high-density neighbourhoods that breathe new life into neglected urban areas – exactly what the government wants to achieve.
However, large-scale brownfield projects like this often come with significant technical complexity. Delivery of these new homes must be approached with eyes wide open, while digging deeper to look at what’s out of view. That means bringing engineering expertise to the table from day one.
Yes, brownfield regeneration is often the riskier and more expensive option than building on green-belt land. But when done right, it’s also more sustainable, beneficial to existing communities and, ultimately, a better use of space.
The challenge is to move fast by delivering new homes at speed and scale, while managing the complexity under the surface.
Avoiding a cost spiral
Early-stage, holistic feasibility work is the key to unlocking brownfield sites, not just ambition or funding.
To determine whether an existing site is ripe for redevelopment, teams of civil, structural and geoenvironmental engineers should be appointed early doors to work closely with architects and planners to assess viability and risks accurately and quickly.
Remember: it’s as much about what’s underground as what’s above. These hidden challenges can make or break project viability. For example, contaminated ground, poor-quality soils and legacy foundations may all require extensive remediation, either through capping or full removal. These costs can spiral without proper upfront investigations as part of early appraisals.
Below-ground services such as gas, water, electricity and drainage can span the entire breadth of a site in unpredictable ways, demanding expensive diversions or protections. Challenges like these are not insurmountable, but they will affect viability if not addressed at pre-construction stage. They require expert knowledge of brownfield regeneration and foresight – a not-so-subtle call to action for the government’s new development arm.
Experience shows that the sooner technical risk is identified and understood, the faster viable schemes can move forward.
Before any boots are on the ground, it’s vital to conduct thorough desktop studies, gathering historical, geological and utility data to map the site’s limitations and opportunities. These investigations don’t just flag issues, they unlock potential. For example, understanding a site’s flood-zone status or sewer infrastructure can help to justify planning applications and accelerate approval.
Urban residential development is increasingly about juggling high-density housing with placemaking – to create communities where people want to live and work. Taller buildings are often the answer, as they make better use of land. But building upwards now comes with new considerations under the Building Safety Act, especially the ‘gateway’ building-control approval process.
In short, strategic partnerships between the public and private sector will be essential to delivering on this latest government promise. The quicker we understand what lies beneath these sites, the quicker we can build above.
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