The charity has produced a report — The State of Brownfield 2025 — which found 55% of all brownfield sites in the UK have received full or in-principle planning permission.

In total, brownfield development could deliver 1.49 million new homes according to The Countryside Charity which it has argued would allow for much quicker timelines than greenbelt and greenfield development.

Research was gathered from Local Authority brownfield registers up to 2024 with the number of sites suitable for development increasing by 16% in recent years.

However, despite this the report has found that greenfield sites continue to dominate development.

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The Countryside Charity is calling for the government to do more and enforce its brownfield-first policy for new housing, through the rejection of greenfield development and focusing Home England on brownfield sites.

The group is also urging the government to update brownfield registers more regularly and set ambitious and enforceable targets for affordable home development on “shovel-ready” sites.

“The recent brownfield passports are a great first step, but if the government is serious about a brownfield-first approach, it needs more teeth,” said Roger Mortlock, CEO at The Countryside Charity.

“If we want homes that tackle the housing crisis, revitalise our towns and cities, and create vibrant, sustainable communities close to existing infrastructure, then these unused brownfield sites have to be the place we start.”