Thousands of new homes will be built on underused and derelict land to regenerate local areas and help people onto the property ladder, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has said.
Almost £58m from the £75m Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) has been allocated to 53 councils, funding that the DLUHC says will boost local areas by transforming unloved and disused sites into vibrant communities for people to live and work.
It was also allow for the demolition of “unsightly” derelict buildings and disused car parks and garages.
The DLUHC says the funding will help to protect countryside and green spaces while delivering 5,600 homes.
The funding could also support up to 17,000 jobs across the housing and construction sector and the wider economy, according to the DLUHC.
Today’s allocations include £5m for self- and custom-build projects.
A further £20m from the BLRF has been designated to help accelerate the self- and custom-build sector, with councils now able to bid for the remaining funding.
‘Cherished countryside and green spaces’
Commenting on the funding, Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove 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.”
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.”
James Jamieson, Local Government Association chair, 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 kickstart transformation, regeneration, and new development in their communities.”
The government aims to build up to 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s.
The government last year announced the £400m Brownfield Fund for 7 Mayoral Combined Authorities, which will also deliver new homes on brownfield land.
The £150m-backed Help to Build scheme was announced in April, and allows access to low-deposit mortgages and improved affordability of home ownership for people who want to build their own homes in a similar way to the Help to Buy scheme.
The BLRF is delivered by the One Public Estate programme which is a collaboration between DLUHC, the Local Government Association and The Cabinet Office.
A further £6m is available to local councils in England through the One Public Estate programme, which aims to help local public services collaborate, redesign how services are located, and release land for housing.
Image: Ian Davidson Photography/Shutterstock
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