The government is using its Land Release Fund to invest £8.9m in the north of England to support the construction of more than 2,000 new homes in a bid to try and tackle the housing shortage.
The funding will be used to help transform unusable land so that it can be used for housing developments across 18 different projects in the Northern Powerhouse, with councils expected to spend the money on aspects such as roads and utilities to get building sites up and running.
In the north-west, a chunk of the allotted money – £500,000 – will be spent on the Salford Development Site on Astley Road, an area which has been significantly redeveloped over recent years. In South Ribble just outside Preston – another area that has seen major investment and regeneration recently – £362,000 will go towards a project at Bamber Bridge and Lostock Hall.
A boost for the north
Overall, around 2,241 new homes will be built as a result of the land released through the funding, which the government hopes will play a role in alleviating the current housing shortage.
Housing and planning minister Dominic Raab said:
“We are investing £8.9 million across the Northern Powerhouse to build roads and provide utilities, so councils can release the land to get up to 2,241 new homes built.”
He added: “It’s part of our strategy to build the homes Britain needs, and carry local communities with us. We’re determined to make buying or renting more affordable for young families and those on low or middle incomes.”
In Poulton-Le-Fylde in Lancashire, a £1.7m boost will go towards improving infrastructure in the area which could see up to 330 new modular homes built, while in Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, access and ground works improvements to deliver around 140 new properties will be helped with a £670,000 investment. Scarborough in Yorkshire is set to receive £50,000 to help build 85 new homes, while Durham has been awarded £810,000 to create five sites where 54 self-build housing units will be created.
