HOMBRE has produced tools to help decision makers optimise the soft re-use of brownfield land, in particular identifying opportunities for additional services and benefits that can be delivered by brownfields projects to increase their overall value and hence attractiveness for investment.  The Brownfield Opportunity Matrix is envisaged as having several uses:

• Initial project conceptualisation (e.g. in a small team context): exploring new ideas and adding value to existing ideas

• Stakeholder engagement: showing the range of services being provided by different brownfield interventions and also to assist discussing how these might be adapted / extended

• Providing a framework for considering costs and benefits or sustainability by providing a transparent means of understanding interventions and services (benefits)

• Providing a framework for validation of both detailed design work and implementation by indicating what service expectations were at project initiation

There are two variants of the matrix,

1. Simple version, for brain storming, scope, range of opportunities, illustrating, broad discussions with different people
   

2. Detailed / informational version for validating, initial feasibility, returning feedback, finding further information, explaining
   

You can also download a slide set that outlines their function.

If you would like to find out more, please contact paul@r3environmental.co.uk.