The government has allocated £80m to brownfield regeneration in an effort to meet housebuilding targets and demand. In a move welcomed in some quarters the money will be used to “transform neglected land into beautiful and thriving communities.”
The money will be focused on developing council-owned brownfield sites and from today (13th December), councils will be able to bid for a share of the final round of funding through the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2. It is hoped the funding will achieve 8,000 news homes by March 2028.
Minister for Housing Lee Rowley said:
“We want to build the new homes people need and brownfield land is crucial to delivering the Long-Term Plan for Housing, as part our of mission to level up the country. This fund will transform unloved and unused brownfield sites into thriving new communities, helping more young families on to the property ladder and creating thousands of jobs.
“This is a game changer for councils and I strongly encourage them to apply and reap the benefits in their local areas.”
This latest round of funding is part of the £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 which was launched in July 2022 and forms part of the £10bn government pledge to boost housing supply.
Cabinet Officer Minister Alex Burghart said:
“This funding will help unlock much-needed redevelopment of unloved, previously derelict brownfield sites: stimulating growth, investment, and job opportunities. It’s fantastic news for business, and even better news for local people who will now see new family homes in their communities.”
Chair of the Local Government Association Shaun Davies added:
“Following the success of the first two rounds of BLRF2 funding, I am pleased the LGA continues its partnership with DLUHC and Cabinet Office helping councils to access the latest round of this fund, which provides much needed capital grants to bring surplus council-owned sites forward for housing.
“The One Public Estate programme has helped to shape this latest funding offer to ensure it can help as many councils as possible bring forward viable housing schemes on their land. I would urge councils to consider how this third round of BLRF2 can help them address local housing needs, and support placemaking and regeneration ambitions.”
Propertymark CEO Nathan Emmerson welcomed the move but urged caution in light of the current work being done on leasehold reform, saying
“Propertymark welcomes this pledge from the UK Government to increase development on brownfield land within town and city centres, especially where there is already a huge demand for housing. However, it is vital that thought goes into the type, tenure and location of these homes to ensure that the correct balance is stuck to enable the country to receive the correct housing infrastructure it desperately needs.”
Housing is likely to be a political football in the run up to the General Election in 2024. The government have said a brownfield-first approach is at the heart of its planning reforms through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act. The ambition of Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 is to deliver over 17,600 new homes and 56,000 skilled new jobs over the next four years, helping to “level up” communities across the country. It has to date delivered £100 million to support councils to release land for almost 8,600 homes.
