Labour allocates £20.5m for Northern brownfield development
Keir Starmer’s government will provide £68m to 54 councils nationwide in an effort to turn neglected land into homes.
The government claims the land released will enable 5,200 homes to be built.
Of the allocated £68m, some £20.5m was given to Northern councils.
North West
Manchester City Council has received more than £4m and Salford City Council was given £1.6m.
Of MCC’s allocation, £2.85m has been earmarked for phase one of The Reno, Mosscare St Vincent’s 223 affordable home development in Moss Side.
The 3.4-acre site is being developed with “urgency”, to address housing shortages in the area.
The rest of the allocation will go towards smaller affordable home developments such as the 31-home Varley Street project, MSV’s Crabtree Lane, and Southway’s 541 Wilbraham Road developments.
Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “Brownfield sites – like that at the Reno in Moss Side – represent a significant part of our affordable housing investment pipeline into the future.
“These underused parcels of land hold great potential to help us meet our ambitious housing strategy targets, including our commitment to help build at least 10,000 Council, social and genuinely affordable homes in the next decade.”
He continued: “But quite often a key challenge is to clean and clear these sites – which are often contaminated – to allow new homes to be built.
“This is where funding packages such as the Brownfield Land Release Fund are vital to Councils to unlock home building opportunities and help meet [the] ever-growing demand for affordable, sustainable housing in Manchester.”
The funding offered to Manchester City Council was the largest regional sum offered by the central government.
In comparison, Liverpool City Council was offered £305,000, St Helens received £1m, and Halton received £500,000.
Cumberland Council was given £1.3m, Lancaster received only £73,440, and Blackburn with Darwen Council was given £310,000.
North East
Newcastle City Council was given £2.4m and Darlington received just below £500,000.
Sunderland City Council was the biggest recipient of funding in the North East with an allocated £4m. The city council was also the subject of another announcement today – £30m from Homes England for the transformation of Riverside Sunderland.
Yorkshire
In Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull City Council received £1.4m, and Kirklees Council received £1.25m.
Wakefield Council was given just over £1m, while Sheffield City Council was given £700,000.
What is the fund?
Funding will be delivered through the Brownfield Land Release Fund, allowing councils to clear empty buildings, former car parks, and industrial land for future development.
Developers are often put off investing due to the expenses involved with land remediation and the cost of decontaminating land.
Councils will also be able to fund local infrastructure, such as water, energy, and broadband to improve services for residents.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I said this government is on the side of the builders, not the blockers. And I meant it.”
He continued: “This funding for councils will see disused sites and industrial wastelands transformed into thousands of new homes in places [where] 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.”
The Labour Government has already laid out some of its steps towards its 1.5m home ambition with the launching of the New Homes Accelerator, ‘brownfield passports’, the New Towns Taskforce, and an overhaul of the National Planning Policy Framework.
Matthew Pennycook, housing and planning minister, added: “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.”
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£68m is better than nothing but a drop in the ocean across 54 councils. Does the government realise the cost of developing brownfield land?
By Anonymous
Quite damning that Liverpool’s allocation compared to other Northern towns is tiny.
By Anonymous
That will be the latest allocation from the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 announced by the Tories in 2022.
Where’s the next round of Brownfield Land Funding for the Mayoral Combined Authorities Keir? The Tories allocated £60m alone to the Liverpool City Region, and £97m to GM, proper money.
By Anonymous
TBh the reason Liverpool brownfield allocation is lower is the separate 50m allocated to Liverpool central docks .
By Anonymous