Richard Barwick of BLAC Regeneration

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

tsturgess@thekmgroup.co.uk

A quango that promotes the building of affordable homes and business start-up space on brownfield land is in new "private" hands.

The Brownfield Land Assembly Company (BLAC1) was funded jointly by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

But with the demise of SEEDA, the operation has been "privatised" by its bosses and re-born as BLAC Regeneration (BLAC2).

The social enterprise will keep profit for community benefit and take the lead in developing complex and challenging town centre sites.

BLAC2 director Richard Barwick, based in Canterbury, said affordable homes and start-up space had been largely abandoned by the private sector. But they remained "absolutely vital for the future prosperity and growth of the towns and villages of Kent and Medway".

"This government is encouraging councils to follow their own lead by making under-utilised land and buildings available for development. BLAC is able to do this in a way that ensures the profits from public land sales remain with the community and local authority, rather than as dividends for a private developer."

BLAC2 will work with local councils to develop brownfield sites at a time when planning rules are being controversially changed to allow more building on greenfield sites.

Mr Barwick added: "However, we at BLAC believe that most communities would still prefer that their local authority encourages the re-use of land, and our experience to date is that they do because it has the least environmental impact and usually represents the most sustainable option."