Tourism And Leisure Development On Brownfield Sites: An Opportunity To Enhance Urban Sustainability

Brownfield site redevelopment initiatives in the UK have attracted significant political attention in recent years for reasons including the contribution of the activity towards sustainable regeneration goals. Options for the reuse of such sites include tourism, recreation and leisure uses, but the potential of many is frequently diminished as a direct result of the destruction of existing built features that frequently occurs during redevelopment. Government policy relating to brownfield redevelopment is evolving towards promoting the retention of heritage features within redevelopment, but there is a lack of best-practice guidance on this subject to guide land-use decision-makers. This paper sets out to contribute to debate on the matter through primary research. It presents case studies of three popular English industrial heritage attractions Iron-bridge Gorge, Magna and Saltaire - that have been developed on brownfield sites where existing built features were deliberately retained. It examines how redevelopment issues at each were addressed within the context of the English planning system. The paper concludes that, where appropriate, integrating historic features of brownfield sites into redevelopment proposals to provide opportunities for tourism and related development should be positively encouraged, and this in turn can contribute significantly to sustainable regeneration goals. Preliminary lessons for best-practice guidance regarding brownfield redevelopment are advanced.