The government has announced the introduction of a new taskforce aimed at removing the blockers, build homes and turbocharge economic growth.
The government says that thousands of new homes will be unlocked on surplus public defence land as part of broader plans to speed up the delivery of housing.
In addition a pioneering new Network Rail property company will see a further 40,000 homes built, supporting delivery of building 1.5 million homes, as set out in the Plan for Change.
This goes hand in hand with the government’s planning reforms, which are forecasted to add around £6.2bn the UK’s economy, according to this week’s OBR forecast.
The government says that unused land will be identified, developed and released by a cross-government collaboration, which will focus on getting it back into productive use as quickly as possible by removing barriers that have prevented houses coming forward at pace on vacant public land for too long.
It adds that this new partnership approach will explore new delivery models, establish collaborative agreements between the Ministry of Defence, Homes England, Network Rail and other government bodies, bring in the private sector – ultimately getting spades in the ground sooner to deliver homes faster, making the dream of homeownership a reality for many.
It will also see a new property company created between Network Rail property and London & Continental Railways, which will attract public and private investment to develop brownfield sites. It will become operational later this year and will have the potential to deliver 40,000 new homes over the next ten years.
Yesterday the chancellor Rachel Reeves is confirming the first four sites that will be developed in Newcastle, Cambridge, Manchester, and Nottingham.
Reeves said: “For too long, surplus government-owned sites have gone underused, but they are a huge untapped resource that could create opportunities for the next generation of homeowners.
“In contrast to the failed approach of the past, we are making the best use of public land to build the homes that families and our Armed Forces need, improving opportunities for homeownership and creating jobs across the country.
“The OBR has confirmed our planning reforms will result in housebuilding being at its highest in over 40 years – that won’t just bring jobs and economic growth – but also will give families the homes that they deserve, delivering on our Plan for Change.”
Deputy prime minister and housing secretary, Angela Rayner, commented: “So many working people and families are locked out of the dream of a secure home and this is a direct consequence of the housing crisis we’ve inherited.
“That’s why we’re unlocking public land today for much-needed new housing to help end the housing crisis, deliver 1.5 million homes, and unleash growth as part of our Plan for Change.”
On Thursday the chancellor confirmed the first of these sites to be unblocked through this ambitious new approach and begin delivering homes in this parliament. This includes a site in Ripon, which will be transferred from MoD to Homes England to allow construction at Deverell Barracks to start within 12 months to expedite the delivery of 1,300 homes.
A new partnership between the MoD and Homes England will also aim to unlock a further 1,300 homes by partially releasing land at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell and deliver thousands of new homes at Wyton airfield in Cambridgeshire in the coming years.
This move is just the start, we are told, with the defence secretary said to be identifting the long-term opportunity to build over 100,000 homes on surplus defence land, improving opportunities for homeownership and creating jobs across the country.
Part of this effort includes a commitment to building and modernising family homes for the Armed Forces and Veterans. The disastrous 1996 privatisation of Armed Forces family housing was reversed in January this year, an established expert and independent Review Team will drive a once in a generation plan to modernise homes for 50,000 Armed Forces families, with a new Defence Housing Strategy to be launched later this Summer.
The partnership between the MoD and Homes England will be the blueprint for a new “trailblazer” approach to accelerate the release of public land, according to defence secretary John Healey.
He said: “This work will unlock thousands of new homes on surplus defence land, including in North Yorkshire, Nottingham and Cambridgeshire – developments promised for years by the last government, but never delivered.
“This heralds a new, trailblazer approach to the use of public land which will not be a fire sale of public assets, but a truly cross-government effort to remove blockers, deliver homes and boost growth in support of our Plan for Change.
“This taskforce is a bold first step, as we make the most of an historic opportunity to build over 100,000 homes on surplus defence land in the coming years, delivering on our commitments to British families and our Armed Forces.”
As part of the new property company, significant sites that are in the pipeline for development, include:
Newcastle Forth Yards: a 100-acre regeneration opportunity which could deliver 5,000 new homes
Manchester Mayfield: opportunity for 1,500 new homes
Cambridge: a mixed-use development with 425 homes
Nottingham: 200 new homes following 348 successfully delivered homes at The Barnum, Nottingham
The announcements follow the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to Parliament which will see significant measures introduced to speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding and builds on work the government has already carried out to get Britain building including overhauling the National Planning Policy Framework.
