This week, the Government announced plans to follow through with its promise to tackle the housing demand crisis and make buying or renting more affordable for young families, as well as those on low and middle incomes.
Plus, the great news is that the government has learnt from past mistakes and is initially tackling the infrastructure needs of communities, so as to prevent new housing putting strains on already stretched local resources.
Housing and Planning Minister Dominic Raab said during the announcement, “We are investing £45 million to build roads and provide utilities, so councils can release the land to get up to 7,280 new homes built. It’s part of our strategy to build the homes Britain needs, and carry local communities with us.”
The £45 million will come from the Land Release Fund and has been awarded to local authorities to fund key community projects with the aim of ultimately get Britain building houses again.
The projects are aimed at building strong communities and combating barriers which would otherwise make land unusable for development and will include necessary works such as asbestos removal and bat alleviation and schemes to improve quality of life for residents such as relocating pelican crossings and infrastructure works such as road, drainage and electricity upgrades.
Funding requests were heavily oversubscribed with a total of 143 project funding applications received, totally £100 million. However, after the bids were competitively assessed against the criteria of value for money, innovation and the contribution to wider government housing objectives, a total of 79 bids were successful in the assessment, which will see £45 million being awarded to 41 authorities.
Projects from Newcastle to Plymouth will receive funding, which will enable the following projects, and many more, to be undertaken:
Poulton-Le- Fylde, Lancashire - to build new roads, roundabouts and utility services, which will unlock up to 330 homes, potentially built with Japanese modular housing techniques. The works will cost £1.7 million.
Worcester - to demolish a leisure centre and undergo asbestos decontamination; works near its city centre, helping to unlock up to 50 homes. The project will cost £750,000.
Paignton, Devon - to build a new 350m sewer, drainage upgrades and 2 new roads; which will help unlock up to 200 homes. The works will cost £1.9 million.
Brighton, Sussex - to divert a public sewer and make electricity substation and highways improvements. The £335,000 project will help unlock up to 30 homes.