The database, due to be launched in the next month, was announced as housing minister Lord Rooker expressed concern over the government's performance in meeting its target for building on brownfield land.
It is hoped the database will encourage public bodies to "trade" land that is no longer needed by one but may be required by another.
It will comprise the results of the quango's study of surplus public sector land. The study was set up after a £400m sale of 114 sites by NHS Estates to Bank of Scotland and Miller Homes attracted widespread criticism for not being secured for social housing.
Announced in the Communities Plan, the study is seen by Whitehall as a key plank in the drive to ensure more effective use of government-owned land.
David Higgins, chief executive of EP, said: "This will show where the land is and what is restraining it coming onto the market. If a department is looking at expanding, it can see where it can use existing public sector land."
Initially the database will only be available to government departments and agencies. It will also be used by Housing Partnerships, the joint venture between EP and the Housing Corporation.
Lord Rooker is concerned that the government's recent success in meeting its target of building more than 60% of new homes on brownfield land was largely due to a historically low level of housebuilding. Figures released last Thursday by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister showed that 64% of all new housing developments in 2002 were built on brownfield land. This was an increase of 1% on the previous year.
Rooker said: "I am concerned that this is being achieved at a time of record lows in housebuilding."
The target was set in February 1998 and since then housebuilding has fallen to 166,000 units in 2001/02 – the lowest level since 1924.
Source
Housing Today
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