Share sites to make more brownfield land available:

The director of one of the country’s most respected land brokers is calling on planners, architects and builders to increase the amount of site sharing on new construction land across the UK.

Charles Hesse from Aston Mead Land & Planning says the idea of putting similar companies and organisations together on the same site would increase the amount of brownfield land available in town and village centres.

He explains: “Brownfield sites are the holy grail of new-build construction. Their accessible and central locations make them highly desirable, but they are often in short supply because established businesses or organisations are already using them. What we’re proposing is putting several similar organisations under one roof to share resources, increase efficiency, and open-up their old sites for essential residential building in the heart of towns and villages.”

Charles Hesse suggests that there are some organisations which naturally lend themselves to such an idea.

He said; “Take the emergency services, for example. Towns often have a separate fire station, police station and ambulance station. Not only would these groups work more effectively if they were on the same site, but there would be operational cost savings too, as well as easier departure points on the outskirts of town for fire engines, police vehicles and ambulances.

“Similarly, why shouldn’t a doctor’s surgery be positioned on the ground floor of a building, with retirement flats above it? The residents could use a lift to get to and from their apartments, and a care home could be built alongside. That way, the surgery would be based in the heart of the community amongst those who would use it most often.

“The same is true of schools. Even if it means building several storeys, infant and junior schools could work from the same building (with the infants on the ground floor), sharing their use of playgrounds and playing fields outside.

“But most importantly, after the previously separate groups have been brought together, their old, redundant sites could then be used for more housing. These areas would be perfectly placed for the new residents to be within walking distance of the local facilities, as well as often being more attractive than the buildings which were there previously.

“Such an approach takes creative, lateral thinking. But we don’t always have to work with the buildings we already have. We can build our way to a better environment – freeing up Brownfield sites for much-needed housing – to create something that works for businesses, organisations and residents alike.”

Breaking news by: Eric Dixon eric@propertypublicity.co.uk

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

UK house prices growing by 2.5% according to Halifax

Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark: “This slight dip in house prices will likely have been influenced as a direct consequence to the current state of the global economy. There will always be a need for people to move house regardless of international trading relations; however, many aspiring or current homeowners will no doubt be discouraged…
Read More
Breaking News

UK house prices dip slightly in May, but market remains steady

Average property price now £296,648 compared to £297,798 last month Annual rate of growth slows to +2.5% from +3.2% in April Overall house prices have remained stable so far this year Northern Ireland continues to lead annual price growth in the UK Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages, Halifax, said: “Average UK house prices fell by…
Read More
Breaking News

Estate Agent Content

Do you think that your estate agency / property business requires content? Is content marketing still a thing in 2025? Are you concerned if anyone will read your words? Is it worth investing in estate agent content? Businesses with blogs generate 67% more leads than those without. As competition for attention online increases it remains…
Read More
Breaking News

The cost of voids rises by £200 for England’s landlords

The latest analysis by Dwelly, one of the UK’s leading lettings acquisition and success planning experts, has found that landlords have been hit with a 26% increase in the cost of void periods in the past year, equivalent to lost income of almost £200. Dwelly analysed average void period data from March 2024 and March…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 5/06/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Demand Rises for Housing and Infrastructure Projects Rising demand for housing, infrastructure and energy projects across Wales has driven continued growth at Lichfields’ Cardiff office, which this year marks 25 years in the capital. The team of 17 planning professionals is one of the largest…
Read More
Breaking News

Construction continues to enjoy a season in the sun

Underlying performance is on the rise during Q.2 2025 Today, Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight experts, releases the June 2025 edition of its Construction Index. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of May 2025, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise…
Read More