Thousands of new homes are set to be built on derelict land following the unlocking of new brownfield funding.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities has allocated around £35m from the £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 to 41 different councils.
The government hopes the funding will bring “unloved” council-owned land back into use by transforming redundant industrial sites, disused car parks, and derelict buildings, into new homes.
A total of 59 regeneration projects will see over 2,200 homes – including over 800 affordable homes – built for local communities.
The government says this will help more young people and families onto the housing ladder and generate up to 7,000 new jobs in housing and construction.
The new fund forms part of the government’s plan to “level up” the country.
‘Absolutely crucial’
Commenting on the funding, minister for Housing Lucy Frazer said: “We are helping local communities transform unwanted, urban eyesores into thriving places that people are proud to call home.
“Regeneration is at the heart of our levelling-up mission, and this new brownfield first fund will help communities across the country unlock disused, council-owned sites to build more of the right homes in the right places.”
Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said: “This funding is absolutely crucial for stimulating growth and forms part of a push across the whole of government to get the UK economy moving.
“Unused land such as this is ripe for investment and I’m thrilled we’re opening the door for more than 2,200 new property owners to potentially take their first step onto the property ladder.
“This funding is great news for businesses, it’s great news for industry and it’s even better news for local people in these communities who are seeing housing and jobs moving to their area.”
Local areas were invited to bid for a share of the first round of funding from the new scheme; the remaining £140m is to be allocated over the next two years.
Cllr James Jamieson, chair of the Local Government Association, said: “We are delighted to be a key partner in supporting the Government’s £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF2).
“Councils play a vital role in driving progress to provide more and better housing, and the awarding of this fund will ensure English councils unlock their brownfield land for new homes and deliver local housing priorities.
“With built-in support from the One Public Estate programme, councils can tackle complex and challenging brownfield sites to benefit their communities.”
The scheme builds on the first Brownfield Land Release Fund, which saw £77m allocated to councils around the country to develop over 160 brownfield sites for around 7,750 new homes.
Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 (BLRF2) funding
| Local Authority | BLRF Award (£) |
|---|---|
| Amber Valley Borough Council | 1,033,901 |
| Babergh District Council | 210,000 |
| Basildon Borough Council | 1,847,037 |
| Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council | 220,000 |
| Bristol City Council | 515,649 |
| Cambridge City Council | 643,329 |
| Canterbury City Council | 554,500 |
| Chorley Borough Council | 650,000 |
| Darlington Borough Council | 223,049 |
| Dover District Council | 100,535 |
| Epsom & Ewell Borough Council | 75,000 |
| Essex County Council | 1,119,015 |
| Exeter City Council | 293,391 |
| Folkestone & Hythe District Council | 465,000 |
| Great Yarmouth Borough Council | 237,711 |
| Haringey Council | 5,913,369 |
| Harrogate Borough Council | 33,000 |
| Havant Borough Council | 1,650,000 |
| Hull City Council | 175,000 |
| Ipswich Borough Council | 3,340,500 |
| Lancaster City Council | 2,769,343 |
| London Borough of Barnet | 1,598,968 |
| London Borough of Waltham Forest | 1,048,946 |
| Mid Devon District Council | 280,000 |
| Mid Suffolk District Council | 238,000 |
| Mole Valley District Council | 90,000 |
| Norfolk County Council | 330,000 |
| North East Lincolnshire Council | 50,000 |
| Oxford City Council | 404,081 |
| Rother District Council | 185,000 |
| Sevenoaks District Council | 1,215,000 |
| Shropshire Council | 334,500 |
| St Helens Borough Council | 812,142 |
| Sunderland City Council | 1,943,657 |
| Tendring District Council | 420,001 |
| Torbay Council | 337,748 |
| Warwickshire County Council | 153,800 |
| Wealden District Council | 300,000 |
| West Sussex County Council | 986,722 |
| Wigan Council | 506,168 |
| Worthing Borough Council | 104,349 |
Image credit: Sirisak_baokaew/Shutterstock
Read next: Social landlords ‘must not hide behind legal process’ – Gove
Are you a social housing professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.
