Thousands of new homes to be built as part of the government's
plans to get the country building again, create jobs and grow the
economy as a multi-million-pound funding boost is given councils
to unlock disused brownfield sites.
£68 million, announced today by the Prime Minister, will go
directly to 54 councils who will be able to use the money to turn
neglected land into new homes. It will transform local
communities and help families onto the property ladder.
The funding will mean councils can clear empty buildings, former
car parks and industrial land to make way for the homes. This
category of land is expensive to prepare for housebuilding,
meaning sites are sat empty and an eyesore for local communities.
With the funding, delivered through the Brownfield Land Release
Fund, councils will be able to cover the cost of decontamination,
clearing disused buildings or improving infrastructure such as
internet, water and power. As a result, land will be released to
enable 5,200 homes to be built across the country.
Prime Minister said:
“From the outset we promised to get this country building again
to deliver 1.5 million homes over this parliament and help tackle
the housing crisis we have inherited. That is the essence of
fixing the foundations and driving growth.
“I said this government is on the side of the builders, not the
blockers. And I meant it. This funding for councils will see
disused sites and industrial wastelands transformed into
thousands of new homes in places that people want to live and
work. Our brownfield-first approach will not only ramp up
housebuilding but also create more jobs, deliver much-needed
infrastructure, and boost economic growth across the country.
“This government is rolling up its sleeves and delivering the
change the British people deserve.”
Housing and Planning Minister
said:
“The government is committed to a brownfield-first approach to
housebuilding, and we have already taken steps to prioritise and
fast-track building on previously used urban land through our
proposals for a ‘brownfield passport'.
“The funding announced today will support the delivery of
thousands of new homes and boost economic growth by unlocking
development on scores of abandoned, disused and neglected urban
sites across the country.”
Some of the projects to benefit from the funding include:
- £2.9 million to Manchester to unlock a vacant brownfield site
to build 220 much-needed affordable homes
- £2.2 million to Eastbourne to transform a former industrial
site, to build 100 new homes including 80 affordable houses
- Over £1.7 million to the town centre in Weston-Super-Mare to
allow over 100 homes to be built on brownfield land
- £1.4 million to Northampton to transform a former bus depot
and deliver 72 new homes
It has also been announced today that Homes England will be
investing £30 million to help accelerate the transformation of
the Riverside Sunderland area from a former industrial heartland
into a thriving new place. The Brownfield Infrastructure Land
(BIL) investment will support a broader project aiming to create
around 1,000 new homes, new community infrastructure and one
million square feet of tailored office space for UK and
international businesses, providing accommodation for between
8,000 and 10,000 jobs.
To accelerate housing development and achieve the ambition to
build 1.5 million homes, the government has also:
- Announced an overhaul of the planning system through a
consultation on reforms to the National Planning Policy
Framework, including new mandatory housebuilding targets for
councils.
- Launched a New Homes Accelerator group to unblock thousands
of new homes stuck in the planning system or partially built.
- Introduced ‘brownfield passports' to ensure where planning
proposals meet design and quality standards, the default answer
to planning permission is yes.
- Set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a
long-term vision to create largescale communities of at least
10,000 new homes each.
It comes as earlier today it was announced that tens of thousands
of new homes will be built across Britain funded by over £550
million worth of impact investments. These investments, whereby a
fund creates beneficial social or environmental impact, has now
grown to £76.8 billion in the UK in assets under management. This
shows the government's hard work is already restoring confidence
for investors to choose Britain, which is open for business.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The three-year £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 was
launched in July 2022 to allow local authorities in England to be
able to build on blocked brownfield land.
Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association,
said: “We are delighted to continue our work with MHCLG,
supporting councils to access the Brownfield Land Release Fund to
remediate unviable council-owned brownfield land and bring it
forwards for much needed homes. Delivered through the One Public
Estate programme, BLRF is an important fund for English councils
to unlock smaller sites and provides the flexibility for councils
to deliver the types of homes their community needs at pace.”
