Prime minister Keir Starmer has allocated £68mn to 54 councils to turn neglected land into new homes.
This announcement comes as part of the government’s plans to “get the country building agan” by unlocking disused brownfield sites.
The funding will mean councils can clear empty buildings, former car parks and industrial land to make way for homes.
The government explained the need for such a fund as this category of land is expensive to prepare for house building, meaning sites are “sat empty” and an “eyesore for local communities”.
Starmer, said: “From the outset we promised to get this country building again to deliver 1.5mn homes over this parliament and help tackle the housing crisis we have inherited.
“That is the essence of fixing the foundations and driving growth
“I said this government is on the side of the builders, not the blockers, and I meant it.
“This funding for councils will see disused sites and industrial wastelands transformed into thousands of new homes in places that people want to live and work.
“Our brownfield-first approach will not only ramp up house building but also create more jobs, deliver much-needed infrastructure, and boost economic growth across the country.
“This government is rolling up its sleeves and delivering the change the British people deserve.”
With the funding, delivered through the Brownfield Land Release Fund, councils will be able to cover the cost of decontamination, clearing disused buildings or improving infrastructure such as internet, water, and power.
As a result, land will be released to enable 5,200 homes to be built across the country.
Some of the projects which will benefit from the funding include £2.9mn to Manchester to unlock a vacant brownfield site to build 220 homes, and £1.4mn to Northampton to transfer a former bus depot.
Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycok, said: “The government is committed to a brownfield-first approach to housebuilding, and we have already taken steps to prioritise and fast-track building on previously used urban land through our proposals for a ‘brownfield passport.
“The funding announced today will support the delivery of thousands of new homes and boost economic growth by unlocking development on scores of abandoned, disused and neglected urban sites across the country.”
Additionally, it was announced today that Homes England will be investing £30mn to help accelerate the transformation of the Riverside Sunderland area from a former industrial heartland into a thriving new place.
The Brownfield Infrastructure Land investment will support a broader project aiming to create around 1,000 new homes, new community infrastructure, and one million square feet of tailored office space for UK and international businesses.
tom.dunstan@ft.com
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