Sandwell set to pioneer Government’s latest multi-million housing initiative
SANDWELL has been selected as one of six areas in the UK to help pioneer a new Government initiative designed to address the country’s housing shortfall.
The Housing Zones scheme aims to fast-track the construction of 10,000 new homes on various brownfield sites.
The scheme will see local councils work in partnership with private developers to try and unlock the potential offered by the former industrial sites.
The new zones are part of a wider package of measures intended to increase the number of homes being built across the country.
Housing Minister Gavin Barwell said that from today councils could bid for a share of an £18m fund to help overcome planning issues that can delay and prevent builders from getting on site and starting work quickly.
The money is intended to help accelerate the delivery of up to 800,000 new homes and infrastructure across large sites in England.
In addition to the Housing Zones, the Government also intends to fund the development of a new garden town at Otterpool Park, Shepway in Kent, which promises up to 12,000 new homes.
Mr Barwell said: “We want to turbo-charge house building on large sites to get the homes built in the places people want to live, so that this country works for everyone, not just the privileged few.
“These sites offer enormous potential to transform brownfield land into new homes and our £18m funding will help get them built much sooner.”
Developers will also be able to apply for funding from the Home Building Fund, which is making £3bn available to house builders.
The six new Housing Zones are:
• Sheffield Housing Zone, South Yorkshire
• North East Lincolnshire Urban Housing Zone, with sites in Grimsby and Cleethorpes
• Hoyland-Wombwell Strategic Housing Zone, Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Sandwell Housing Zone, Bescot and Friar Park
• Pennine-Lancashire Housing Zone, with sites in Blackburn and Burnley
• Wirral Waters Housing Zone, Merseyside
