Brownfield sites sought to help meet housing need

Brownfield land is land that has previously been built on or has had a hard surface on it

A Kent council has issued a call for brownfield sites that may help meet its district's housing needs.

Thanet District Council (TDC) has asked landowners, developers, and residents to submit details of suitable brownfield land that could accommodate five or more dwellings.

It said that while there were already brownfield sites identified and allocated in its Local Plan, it hoped the call out would identify additional suitable sites.

TDC leader Rick Everitt said: "We want to make sure that we've explored all the options" and for residents to know the council has "considered every opportunity".

He said: "There is no silver bullet for the current level of housing demand and the requirement to allocate land to meet it has been mandated by successive governments.

"However, identifying brownfield sites, where we might be able to allow development, will help.

"It's just the first step and all sites taken forward will go through a full statutory consultation process."

Labour has pledged to build 1.5m new homes by 2029, though figures released by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March suggested the government would not get close to meeting this target.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner previously told BBC South East the priority was to build on brownfield sites.

Details of prospective sites should be submitted using the council's online engagement platform, Your Voice Thanet.