Councils will be able to apply for a share of a new £180m Brownfield
Land Release Fund, which will help to transform disused urban areas into 17,600
new homes and create around 54,000 jobs over the next four years.
An initial £40m is available to support local regeneration projects,
releasing council land for more than 4,000 new homes and creating 12,400
jobs. The remaining £140m will be made available to councils over the next
two years.
But Eleanor Bateman, policy officer at agency trade body Propertymark,
warned that it is important to build the right types of homes in the most
appropriate places.
She said: "As housing supply continues to fall short of what is
needed, it is positive that the UK government has launched a new round of
Brownfield Land Release funding, which is vital for bringing forward
publicly-owned brownfield land and meeting local housing targets.
"But while the levelling up agenda is likely to mean that much of the
investment goes to the north of England, the UK Government must not overlook
mounting affordability pressures in other parts of the country.
"Housing delivery is more than simply a numbers game, and location,
tenure and type must continue to be priorities if the UK Government is truly
committed to boosting supply to accommodate all needs."
Estate
Agent Today By Marc Shoffman 12th
July 2022