Brownfield Land Register

The council is legally required to maintain a register of previously developed sites within the borough which are available and potentially suitable for housing. This does not include land or buildings in agricultural use or residential gardens. All sites must meet the definition of ‘previously developed land’ as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

The preparation of the Brownfield Land Register is governed by The Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Register) Regulations 2017. The government has published a series of frequently asked questions to help people understand the purpose of the register and how it will operate.

All sites must meet the following criteria:

• be at least 0.25 hectares or capable of  supporting at least five dwellings
• suitable for residential development - this means the site either has been allocated in a local development plan document for residential use, has planning permission for residential use or is considered by the local authority to be appropriate for residential use
• available for residential development: this  means that there is no impediment to development in terms of either ownership issues or legal constraints on the land
• residential development is achievable: the site is likely to be developed within 15 years of being entered on the register.

The register is kept in two parts:

• Part 1 comprises of all brownfield sites in the borough, which meet the above criteria.
• Part 2 comprises of housing-led sites which the council consider suitable to be granted ‘permission in principle’. At this stage no sites have been identified for inclusion in part 2 of the register.

The council has compiled Part 1 of the register. This will be updated at least once a year. 

• Brownfield Land Register (csv format)
• Maps of Brownfield Sites in London Borough of Tower Hamlets
• Brownfield Land Register Methodology

It should be noted that the inclusion of a site in Part 1 of the Register does not give any formal status or grant planning permission. Only sites that move to part 2 of the register will be granted permission in principle (PIP).

Should you have any queries, please contact: planning@towerhamlets.gov.uk.