The target for the proportion of new homes built on brownfield land should be increased from 60% to 85% a new report argues.

The report, from countryside campaigners CPRE, reveals the huge scale of wasted and neglected land within towns and cities crying out for development.

Many councils are failing to identify sites that would benefit from redevelopment or take action to encourage their development, blighting communities and environments.

The study found the neglect of sites such as empty or underused car parks, derelict land and former industrial premises to be commonplace.

Kate Gordon, Council for the Protection of Rural England planning campaigner, said: “Our research shows significant opportunities for development on brownfield sites are being missed, for a variety of reasons.”

“London alone has enough small sites close to town centres to accommodate around 60,000 new homes – the equivalent of six Barking Riverside developments.”

The CPRE said the government had made "tremendous progress" on brownfield land by exceeding its 60% target, with 77% of new homes built on previously used sites in 2005, but Kate Gordon said there was a "compelling case" for the target to be increased to "at least 85%".

Currently, planning policy underestimates the contribution of small sites. PPS3 makes no specific reference to small sites. Yet across the country, the contribution of small sites is clear. Housing completion figures and planning applications indicate that small schemes form a significant proportion of new residential development with up to 90% of new development being delivered on small sites.

Individually, the potential contribution of a small site is just that: small. Cumulatively, however, the report notes, small sites offer significant potential, both to meet housing targets and to contribute to sustainable patterns of development. Small raindrops make big puddles.