Thousands of new homes to be built as government unlocks brownfield sites (updated)

Published 15 October 2024

Last updated 29 October 2024 — See all updates

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 Keir Starmer 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 Matthew Pennycook 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.”