14.01.20
£8m government funding for new communities
Communities throughout England are set to receive thousands of newly designed homes thanks to an £8 million cash injection, Housing Minister Rt Hon Esther McVey has today (14 January) announced.
£6 million will be used to help newly locally-led garden towns and villages progress plans to deliver up to 200,000 new homes.
An additional £1.9 million will be given to councils in England to support new neighbourhood plans, allowing communities to get involved and have their say on the types of homes that are built and where.
Neighbourhood planning has been very prevalent at the local level since it was introduced it in 2011 with nearly a million votes counted for neighbourhood plans and over 2,600 different communities coming forward with proposals.
Today’s funding allocation builds on the government’s commitment to giving communities a voice on the development in their local area, as well as prioritising local brownfield land while protecting the green belt.
The funding will support local authorities to deliver neighbourhood plans by:
- Providing advice and expertise to communities that want a neighbourhood plan
- Organising an independent examination of draft plans
- Supporting communities who want to deliver new neighbourhood plans but have not been able to
- Hosting local referendums that give communities a final say on these plans
Twenty-one garden villages and towns across England are already set to receive a share of £6 million to progress their proposals towards delivering up to 200,000 new homes.
Esther McVey MP, housing minister said: “Communities have the local insight to decide what new homes should look like and the kind of infrastructure they need in their area.
“This is what neighbourhood planning is all about, so I’m pleased this funding will ensure that the right homes are built in the right places. I am also announcing extra cash to deliver new vibrant garden communities, which will help deliver tens of thousands of well-designed new homes for hardworking families.”