The Government has announced plans to build thousands of new homes by providing £68m to 54 councils for the redevelopment of neglected brownfield sites.
This funding aims to transform local communities, create jobs, and help families onto the property ladder.
The money can be used by councils to clear empty buildings, former car parks, and industrial land, which are expensive to prepare for housing.
The funding, delivered through the Brownfield Land Release Fund, will allow councils to cover the costs of decontamination, clearing disused buildings, and improving local infrastructure such as internet and utilities.
As a result, the initiative is expected to enable the construction of 5,200 new homes across the country.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “From the outset we promised to get this country building again to deliver 1.5 million homes over this Parliament and help tackle the housing crisis we have inherited.
“That is the essence of fixing the foundations and driving growth.
“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 housebuilding 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.”
Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook 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.”
Some projects to benefit from this funding include £2.9m for Manchester to build 220 affordable homes, £2.2m for Eastbourne to create 100 homes on a former industrial site, and £1.4m for Northampton to deliver 72 homes on a former bus depot.
The Government also announced that Homes England will invest £30m in the transformation of the Riverside Sunderland area, aiming to create around 1,000 new homes and provide significant infrastructure.
In addition to this funding, the Government will reform the planning system, establish mandatory housebuilding targets for councils, and create a New Homes Accelerator group to unblock housing developments.
