Church looks to release brownfield land for homes

The Church of England owns considerable amounts of recyclable brownfield land in cities and towns and is developing a strategy to release it for affordable housing, especially for younger people and families. This links with CPRE’s campaign on brownfield and could encourage synergy locally on the use of brownfield.

The Coming Home report made headlines when it was published in February. It set out the Church of England initiative to use land to create affordable housing.

To share more widely the Church’s plans, Canon Chris Beales presented a talk to CPRE focusing largely on the Coming Home report.

About the presenter

Chris describes himself as a social entrepreneur working in housing and education and on issues of faith and economy locally, nationally and internationally. He pioneered government work with faith communities.

Chris has written and published two books and contributed to other books and magazines. He is an Anglican minister, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Visiting Fellow at St John’s College, Durham University.

He was one of the Commissioners of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Housing, Church and Community.