WORCESTER City Council has exceeded Government targets for building new houses on previously developed sites.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister wants at least 60 per cent of new homes to be built on brownfield land - land that has already been built on - by 2008, so that green sites are only used as a last resort.

Figures for April 2002 to March 2003 show that the city council achieved well over that target, with 72 per cent, which is also above the average for England of 57 per cent.

This was a substantial increase on figures only recently released by the Government, for 1998 to 2001, which had Worcester's brownfield housing at only 33 per cent. Principal planning officer Peter Yates said the city was "well ahead of the game" when it came to redeveloping sites.

He added that over the past two years almost all "greenfield" development had been for affordable housing, in particular Swallowfields and Plantation Drive, in Warndon.

Housing Minister Lord Rooker said local authorities needed to be more creative in their use of land for housing and should only build on undeveloped green sites as a last resort.

"Use of brownfield sites benefits towns by redeveloping waste ground and run down buildings, and benefits the countryside by relieving pressure to build on green fields," he said.

"I would urge councils to think creatively about the land they have and the powers they can use to make sure more high quality homes are provided as a matter of priority."

The Government said it was reviewing planning laws to make it easier to redevelop brownfield sites.

"House builders tell me the planning system can act as a barrier to development," Lord Rooker said.