After being championed by the Prime Minister last week, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced new funding for building on brownfield land.
Almost £58m from the £75m Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) has been allocated to 53 councils. The funding will see an extra 5,600 homes built on these sites.
The funding could also support up to 17,000 jobs across the housing and construction sector and the wider economy.
As part of the release, the Government say that “boosting housing supply is central to the Levelling Up agenda.”
Today’s allocations include £5m for self and custom build projects. A further £20m from the BLRF has also been designated to help accelerate the self and custom build sector.
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, 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.”
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.”
| Local authority | Grant amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Harrogate Borough Council | 50,000 |
| West Oxfordshire District Council | 78,000 |
| Hastings Borough Council | 142,000 |
| Broxbourne Borough Council | 160,000 |
| Plymouth City Council | 177,500 |
| Wiltshire County UA | 178,333 |
| Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council | 195,000 |
| Bristol City Council | 199,521 |
| Fenland District Council | 200,000 |
| Great Yarmouth Borough Council | 207,272 |
| Nottingham City Council | 222,000 |
| Eastleigh Borough Council | 260,000 |
| Newark and Sherwood District Council | 284,000 |
| Greenwich London Borough | 350,000 |
| Lewisham London Borough | 385,519 |
| Adur District Council | 407,000 |
| Stroud District Council | 421,000 |
| Leicester City Council | 443,400 |
| Eastbourne Borough Council | 470,000 |
| Oxford City Council | 479,440 |
| Wokingham Borough Council | 494,000 |
| North Devon District Council | 500,000 |
| Rother District Council | 500,000 |
| Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough | 509,188 |
| Essex County Council | 516,800 |
| Peterborough City Council | 550,000 |
| Staffordshire County Council | 581,800 |
| Durham County UA | 626,066 |
| Isles of Scilly Council | 664,250 |
| Stevenage Borough Council | 750,000 |
| Derby City Council | 825,000 |
| London Borough of Richmond upon Thames | 849,522 |
| Teignbridge District Council | 860,474 |
| Isle of Wight Council | 949,765 |
| Worcestershire County Council | 985,000 |
| North Somerset Council | 1,075,000 |
| Torbay Council | 1,090,000 |
| Folkestone and Hythe District Council | 1,150,000 |
| Camden London Borough | 1,566,277 |
| Barnet London Borough | 1,780,000 |
| South Tyneside Council | 1,850,000 |
| Herefordshire Council | 2,000,000 |
| Reading Borough Council | 2,000,000 |
| South Gloucestershire Council | 2,020,000 |
| Dorset Council (UA) | 2,103,255 |
| Bracknell Forest Council | 2,340,266 |
| Cornwall County UA | 2,450,000 |
| Brighton and Hove City Council | 2,497,112 |
| Portsmouth City Council | 2,563,000 |
| City of York Council | 2,640,479 |
| Waltham Forest London Borough | 3,372,320 |
| Haringey London Borough | 3,886,214 |
| Exeter City Council | 5,966,470 |
Author: Mark