Thousands of new homes will be provided following a new range of government measures.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said these new measures would support locally-led efforts to get the country building, building on the momentum gathered since 2010 which has seen house building levels rise to a 7-year high.
The government announced:
- a locally-led garden town at Bicester, backed by the council and local MP, which will provide up to 13,000 new homes
- the provision of 10,000 new homes on surplus public sector land at Northstowe in Cambridgeshire
- a new target to release enough formerly-used surplus public sector land for 150,000 new homes between 2015 and 2020
- government support to provide 11,000 new homes at Barking Riverside in East London, and 7,500 new homes as part of the redevelopment of Brent Cross
The government also announced measures that will provide thousands of new affordable homes:
- an affordable homes programme that will provide 275,000 new homes between 2015 and 2020 – the fastest rate of affordable house building in 2 decades
- the first 4 housing estates to be shortlisted for a share of £150 million to kickstart their radical regeneration.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "We’ve seen how getting the country building has been key to our long term economic plan – helping hard-working people become homeowners and creating thousands of construction jobs.
"We’re offering a blueprint for how we maintain this momentum, supporting local communities to deliver the homes they want to see, making the best possible use of brownfield land and protecting the Green Belt.
"Taken together with our plans for a new programme of affordable house building, these measures could deliver over 200,000 new homes across the country."
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: "Since 2010 we’ve pulled out all the stops and got the country building, delivering the highest levels of house building for 7 years.
"The package of measures will ensure we go further, delivering up to a quarter of a million new homes – including thousands of new affordable homes.
"And in doing this, we’ll support the construction industry – a key part of our growing economy – long into the future by creating thousands of new jobs."
