Following the Prime Minster’s conference pledge to put “beautiful homes on brownfield sites in places where homes make sense” the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have announced that thousands of new homes will be built on underused and derelict land.
53 councils across England and Wales have been allocated £58 million from the £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) has to regenerate local areas and help people onto the property ladder
According to the DLUHC the funding will
“boost local areas by transforming unloved and disused sites into vibrant communities for people to live and work, with the demolition of unsightly derelict buildings and disused car parks and garages. This will help to protect countryside and green spaces while an extra 5,600 homes are built on these sites, supporting young people and families across the country into home ownership.”
It is also anticipated that the investment could support up to 17,000 jobs across the housing and construction sector and the wider economy.
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP said:
“We are levelling up and backing home ownership in every corner of the country, delivering new high-quality, affordable homes and creating thriving places where people want to live, work and visit.”
“Making the most of previously developed land is a government priority and it will help protect our cherished countryside and green spaces.”
“Today’s allocations include £5 million for self and custom build projects. A further £20 million from the BLRF has also been designated to help accelerate the self and custom build sector, with councils now able to bid for the remaining funding – giving local people the opportunity to build and design their own homes.”
Cabinet Office Minister, Lord Agnew said:
“This support being provided to local authorities is another clear demonstration of this government’s commitment to levelling up the country.”
“The latest projects to benefit from this support, through Brownfield Land Release funding, will not only help unlock under-used public sector sites for homes but also help deliver jobs and save taxpayers’ money.”
Cllr James Jamieson, Local Government Association Chairman, said:
“One Public Estate and Brownfield Land Release funding play a crucial role in supporting the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and supporting councils to transform their assets, create better services, and release land for much-needed new homes and regeneration across the country.”
“This latest news is more proof that this programme works. Councils recognise how valuable this support is, and are being ever more ambitious in their ideas to use this funding to kick-start transformation, regeneration, and new development in their communities.”
The government last year announced the £400 million Brownfield Fund for 7 mayoral combined authorities which will also deliver much-needed new homes on brownfield land – unlocking 26,000 homes.
Alongside the £150 million backed Help to Build announced in April and the recent review by Richard Bacon MP, which recommended a major scaling up of the self and custom build sector, the housing sector is in receipt of significant investment.
Last year 244,000 homes were delivered which the government claims is the highest number of new homes for over 30 years. The ambition is to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s to put home ownership within reach for more people across the country.