The government has announced that it is committing additional investment to the building of thousands of new homes, as part of wider plans to ‘get the country building again.’
With job creation and economic growth coming alongside much-needed additional homes, £68 millions of government funding will be committed to 54 councils around the country. The focus of this housebuilding will be on brownfield land, allowing empty buildings can be cleared and unused car parks and industrial land can be brought back into community use.
This investment will be delivered through the Brownfield Land Release Fund, supporting councils as they cover the costs of decontamination, building clearance, or improving related infrastructure such as water, internet, and power. With this, it is expected that a further 5,200 homes can be delivered around the nation.
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.”
Examples of some of the projects that will be delivered through the funding include:
- Manchester - £2.9 million to unlock a site for 220 affordable homes
- Eastbourne - £2.2 million to turn a former industrial site into 100 new homes, 80 of which will be affordable
- Weston-Super-Mare – More than £1.7 million to build over 100 homes on brownfield land in the town centre
- Northampton - £1.4 million to transform a former bus depot into 72 new homes.
Matthew Pennycook, Housing and Planning Minister, also commented:
“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.”
Image credit: iStock
