In spring 2024 we consulted on a draft Local Plan to 2040. The draft plan prioritised brownfield sites for redevelopment and proposed to allocate land in the district for new homes, jobs, schools, a new hospital and community use.
Based on feedback from the latest consultation, we found that residents would like to see more brownfield sites proposed in the Local Plan.
Before we make any final decisions about sites in the Local Plan, we want to ask if there are more sites; including brownfield sites, that could be suitable and available for development.
What a brownfield site is
A brownfield site is land which has previously been developed and is occupied by a permanent structure, or has been in the past. This includes the area around the developed land and any associated fixed surface infrastructure. Typical brownfield sites might include land used for commercial or industrial purposes such as warehousing or offices and car parks.
It doesn't include land that:
- is or was last occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings
- was developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill, where provision for restoration has been made
- is in built-up areas such as residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments
- was previously developed but where structural remains have blended into the landscape
You can suggest brownfield land that is currently in use, but the site must be available for development now or likely to be available within the Local Plan timescales (up to 2040).
Submit a new site
We welcome any new sites that have not been submitted to us already, and we are particularly interested in:
- Brownfield land that could be suitable and available for development for any future use (capable of accommodating a minimum of five houses or other residential properties or 500sqm floorspace).
- Small and medium sized sites (capable of accommodating a minimum of five up to around 100 houses or other residential properties).
- Land that could be suitable for employment and commercial development (above 0.25ha or 500sqm floorspace).
- Land that could be suitable for gypsy and traveller accommodation.
- Land that could be suitable for renewable energy schemes.
You will need to submit your site by 16 December 2024.
You need to provide:
- your details,
- a location plan or shapefile,
- information about the availability and ownership of the site,
- information about what you think it could be developed for, and
- any supporting evidence such as a transport or landscape assessment.
You don't need to submit sites which have already been sent to us for previous Local Plan consultations. If you have also submitted additional information through our Regulation 18 consultations, you won't need to do it again. We will not accept duplicate sites.
If you have already submitted a site but want to let us know of any changes to it, or for it to be considered for another land use, please email policy@canterbury.gov.uk, quoting the site reference.
How to check if the site has been previously submitted
Before submitting a new site, you can check our interactive call for sites map to see if a site is already on there.
How to use the call for sites map
You can drag and zoom to find your site on the interactive map. Or you can search for the address by clicking the magnifying glass in the top-right corner of the screen.
Sites submitted for natural environment and renewable energy purposes are striped green.
Sites submitted for all other purposes including residential, commercial and employment are shaded blue.
You can see details of previous assessments in our Local Plan evidence library:
- Strategic Land Availability Assessment (2022)
- Addendum to the Strategic Land Availability Assessment (2024)
- Natural Environment and Open Space Topic Paper (2024)
- Climate Change Topic Paper (2024)
What happens next
Submissions will be considered through an update to our strategic land availability assessment. This will decide whether the site is suitable, available and achievable for the future use proposed. We may contact you to clarify details or request more information if we need it.
If we think a site could be used, this doesn't mean we will allocate it in the Local Plan, or that we will grant planning permission in the future.
You might want to see our privacy notice, which explains how we might use your personal data.