Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has announced the first wave of projects that will benefit from a share of £1bn to unlock housing developments across the country.
A shortlist of large-scale housing projects set to receive a share of £1bn funding has been unveiled today [15 August] by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.
The funding will be used to unlock or accelerate the provision of over 200,000 new homes across the country.
The first 36 projects will receive £850m to start or continue work. According to Pickles these projects are critical to keep Britain’s housing sector building.
The £850m forms part of the government’s £1bn ‘Large site infrastructure programme‘, which will run for five years. This money will be used to build infrastructure required for the sites, including road improvements, schools, and parks. It also includes £12.5m capacity funding, as well as expert planning and technical support for councils dealing with large-scale sites.
Pickles said: “This government’s long-term economic plan is getting Britain building again. Residential construction is now at its highest level since 2007 and continuing to rise, and 216,000 new homes were given planning permission last year.
“We are supporting locally-led development, and this £1 billion programme will help unlock or accelerate over 200,000 new homes across the country.
“This is part of our wider package of housing programmes to support home ownership, increase investment in the private rented sector and further increase house building.”
The funding will be in the form of a long term loan, with interest, and will be available between 2015 and 2020.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: “I am delighted that we have been able to put this extra £850 million into building more homes for families across the country.
“This forms part of the government’s record investment in housing, which has already helped to get 450,000 new homes built over this Parliament, and brought housebuilding back to its highest level for 6 years.”
The developments that have been shortlisted include:
- Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, which will provide 10,000 homes
- Rugby Radio Station site, which will provide 6,200 homes
- Monkton Heathfield development outside Taunton, which will provide 4,500 homes
- DN7 initiative in Doncaster, which will provide over 3,000 new homes
- Bishop Stortford North development in East Hertfordshire, which will provide 2,200 homes
- New Lubbesthorpe in Leicester, which will provide over 4,000 homes
- North Wellingborough, which will provide 3,000 new homes
- Arborfield Garrison in Wokingham, which will provide 2,000 homes
- Langarth in Truro, which will provide 1,500 homes
- Cheeseman’s Green in Ashford, which will provide 1,500 homes
- Dallington Grange in Northampton, which will provide 3,400 homes
- Lawley Village in Telford, which will provide 2,500 homes
- Newcourt Urban Extension in Exeter, which will provide over 2,000 homes
- East Kettering, which will provide 5,500 homes
- Hunts Grove in Gloucester, which will provide 1,750 homes
- Barwell at Hinckley and Bosworth, which will provide 2,500 homes
- Branston Locks in East Staffordshire, which will provide 2,500 homes
- Festival Gardens site in Liverpool, which will provide over 1,500 homes
- Bath Riverside, twhich will provide nearly 1,900 homes
- Colchester North Growth Area Urban Extension, which will provide 1,600 homes
- Weston Airfield in North Somerset, which will provide over 2,500 homes
- Ebbsfleet Valley, which will provide over 3,500 homes
- Overstone Leys in Daventry, which will provide 2,000 homes
- North West Bicester, which will provide over 5,500 homes
- Welborne at Fareham, which will provide 5,400 homes
- Middle Deepdale at Scarborough, which will provide 2,300 homes
- the Thetford North development in Breckland, which will provide 5,000 homes
- Acton Gardens in Ealing, which will provide over 2,500 homes
- Lincolnshire Lakes in Scunthorpe, twhich will provide 3,500 homes
- Whitfield development in Dover, which will provide over 5,700 homes
- Beaulieu in Chelmsford, which will provide 3,600 homes
- Bela Priors Hall in Corby, which will provide nearly 3,000 homes
- Alphington near Exeter, which will provide 1,500 homes
- Wood Wharf in London, which will provide over 3,000 homes
- West Witney in Oxfordshire, which will provide 1,500 homes
