Right to Regenerate: reform of the Right to Contest
We are seeking views on the usefulness of the Right to Contest, as well as proposing a number of potential reforms.
This consultation is to help to shape a reform of the Right to Contest, in order to encourage the right to be utilised more effectively and more widely to stimulate regeneration and the more productive use of land.
Strand 2 of the Community Right to Contest allows members of the public to request that the government directs the disposal of unused or underused land, including vacant homes and garages, owned by public bodies. This right is little-known and little-used, with only one direction to dispose issued since 2014.
The aim of this consultation is to strengthen the right and make it simpler to use as the new ‘Right to Regenerate’.
This will provide a quicker and easier route for individuals, businesses and organisations to identify, purchase and redevelop underused or empty land in their area. In turn, the strengthened right will support greater regeneration of brownfield land, boost housing supply and empower people to turn blights and empty spaces in their areas into more beautiful developments.