27.02.18
Funding to speed up delivery of new homes announced
New funding to speed up planning decisions and deliver new homes has been announced by housing minister Dominic Raab.
The funding, totalling £15.8m, is the first wave of the Planning Delivery Fund, which aims to support local authorities with high housing needs to plan for new homes and infrastructure.
The first wave has been split into three streams: the joint working fund, which will receive £9.4m; the design quality fund, which will see an investment of £4.82m; and the promoting innovation fund, which will receive £1.07m.
Councils will be able to process more applications, implement new reforms, and train planners to tackle the housing challenges in their local area thanks to the funding.
It is hoped that the cash injection will support local authorities working together on ambitious new joint local plans and core strategies, and engage residents in the future development of their areas, as well as outlining locations suitable for new homes.
Greater best practice and innovation within councils will be supported by the investment, meaning that more will be determined over a shorter period of time.
Local authorities will be able to access the latest expertise on design and town planning, which it is hoped will drive up the quality of new homes.
A total of 68 projects across the country will receive cash from the Planning Delivery Fund between 2017 and 2019.
Talking about the strategy, Raab said: “This cash boost ensures councils have the resources needed to make quicker decisions on planning applications, delivering quality housing at a faster rate.
“It’s part of our strategy to build the homes this country needs whilst also supporting residents to have their say on the kind of development that takes place in their area.”
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become a PSE columnist? If so, click here.