Press release

Thousands of new homes to be built and derelict land transformed

Thousands of new homes will be built on underused and derelict land to regenerate local areas and help people onto the property ladder.

  • £57.8 million allocated to councils to develop brownfield land into good quality housing while transforming derelict local areas.
  • New homes will help hardworking people get on the property ladder and boost local communities, levelling up the country.
  • Funding includes support for self and custom build projects to help make it more affordable for people to build their own homes.

Thousands of new homes will be built on underused and derelict land to regenerate local areas and help people onto the property ladder, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced today (12 October 2021).

Almost £58 million from the £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) has been allocated to 53 councils.

The funding will boost local areas by transforming unloved and disused sites into vibrant communities for people to live and work, with the demolition of unsightly derelict buildings and disused car parks and garages. This will help to protect countryside and green spaces while an extra 5,600 homes are built on these sites, supporting young people and families across the country into home ownership.

The funding could also support up to 17,000 jobs across the housing and construction sector and the wider economy.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP said:

We are levelling up and backing home ownership in every corner of the country, delivering new high-quality, affordable homes and creating thriving places where people want to live, work and visit.

Making the most of previously developed land is a government priority and it will help protect our cherished countryside and green spaces.

Today’s allocations include £5 million for self and custom build projects. A further £20 million from the BLRF has also been designated to help accelerate the self and custom build sector, with councils now able to bid for the remaining funding – giving local people the opportunity to build and design their own homes.

Cabinet Office Minister, Lord Agnew said:

This support being provided to local authorities is another clear demonstration of this government’s commitment to levelling up the country.

The latest projects to benefit from this support, through Brownfield Land Release funding, will not only help unlock under-used public sector sites for homes but also help deliver jobs and save taxpayers’ money.

Cllr James Jamieson, Local Government Association Chairman, said:

One Public Estate and Brownfield Land Release funding play a crucial role in supporting the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and supporting councils to transform their assets, create better services, and release land for much-needed new homes and regeneration across the country.

This latest news is more proof that this programme works. Councils recognise how valuable this support is, and are being ever more ambitious in their ideas to use this funding to kick-start transformation, regeneration, and new development in their communities.

Boosting housing supply is central to the levelling up agenda. Last year 244,000 homes were delivered – the highest number of new homes for over 30 years. The government aims to build up to 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s to put home ownership within reach for more people across the country, making it a more mainstream, realistic and affordable option for people across the country.

The government last year announced the £400 million Brownfield Fund for 7 mayoral combined authorities which will also deliver much-needed new homes on brownfield land – unlocking 26,000 high-quality homes.

The £150 million backed Help to Build scheme was announced in April. It will allow access to low deposit mortgages and improve affordability of home ownership for people who want to build their own homes in a similar way to the Help to Buy scheme.

In addition, the review by Richard Bacon MP, which recommended a major scaling up of the self and custom build sector, has been warmly welcomed by the government with a response to the findings to be published in due course.

Further information

£57.8 million from the £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) is being allocated, of which £25 million was made available to self and custom build projects.

£5 million from the self and custom build pot has been allocated and now local councils are being encouraged to bid for the remaining share of £20 million to deliver further self and custom build projects on Brownfield Land.

Find out more about the latest round of One Public Estate and self and custom build funding.

The BLRF is delivered by the One Public Estate programme which is a collaboration between DLUHC, the Local Government Association and the Cabinet Office.

A further £6 million is available to local councils in England through the One Public Estate programme, which aims to help local public services collaborate, redesign how services are located, and release land for housing.

Council name Project name Funding award
Adur District Council Ashcroft Sheltered Housing Scheme £407,000
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Clarendon Road Site £195,000
Bracknell Forest Council Opladen Way £119,600
Bracknell Forest Council Depot site £570,666
Bracknell Forest Council Market Street £1,650,000
Brighton & Hove City Council Hinton Close Garage Site £43,311
Brighton & Hove City Council Dunster Close Garage Site £22,137
Brighton & Hove City Council Dunster Close Hammerhead Site £38,962
Brighton & Hove City Council Oakley House Housing Project £93,031
Brighton & Hove City Council Natal Road Site £35,465
Brighton & Hove City Council Eastergate Road Housing Project £231,385
Brighton & Hove City Council Moulsecoomb Hub and Housing £1,694,287
Brighton & Hove City Council Portsalde Village Centre £338,534
Bristol City Council Tenants Hall - Barton Hill £199,521
Broxbourne Borough Council Hope Nursery £160,000
City of York Former Tang Hall Library £116,865
City of York Chaloners Road Garage Court £94,356
City of York Ordnance Lane £2,429,258
Cornwall Council Pydar Regeneration £2,450,000
Council of the Isles of Scilly Ennor Farm, Isles of Scilly £664,250
Derby City Council Union Foundry, Derby £825,000
Dorset Council Furzehill £775,000
Dorset Council White Pit Farm £150,000
Dorset Council Blandford Depot £235,000
Dorset Council North Quay £943,255
Durham County Council Greenwood Avenue, Burnhope Durham £405,924
Durham County Council Chaytor Road, Bridgehill, Durham £220,142
Eastbourne Borough Council Cavalry Crescent £200,000
Eastbourne Borough Council Southfields Road car park £200,000
Eastbourne Borough Council Fort Lane £70,000
Eastleigh Borough Council The Arch, Chandlers Ford £260,000
Essex County Council Hargraves House £145,800
Essex County Council Lexden Springs £371,000
Exeter City Council Cathedral and Quay Car Park £2,373,183
Exeter City Council Bonhay meadows £1,009,870
Exeter City Council Exeter Canal Basin £600,000
Exeter City Council Belle Isle £673,417
Exeter City Council Mary Arches Car Park £1,310,000
Fenland District Council Fenland Nene Waterfront £200,000
Folkestone & Hythe District Council Biggins Wood £1,150,000
Great Yarmouth Borough Council Beach Coach Station £207,272
Harrogate Borough Council Woodfield Close, Harrogate £20,000
Harrogate Borough Council Park Row, Knaresborough £30,000
Hastings Borough Council  Bexhill Road, St Leonards on Sea £142,000
Herefordshire Council Merton Meadow £2,000,000
Isle of Wight Council Thompson House, Sandy Lane, Newport £135,000
Isle of Wight Council Weston Road £195,265
Isle of Wight Council Berry Hill £619,500
Leicester City Council Forest Lodge Education Centre £443,400
London Borough of Barnet Fosters Estate £1,510,000
London Borough of Barnet Little Strand £270,000
London Borough of Camden West Kentish Town phase 1 £1,323,777
London Borough of Camden Heybridge & Hadley Street £242,500
London Borough of Haringey Gourley Triangle £1,435,540
London Borough of Haringey Ashley Rd Depot £2,450,674
London Borough Of Lewisham Council Greystead Road SE23 £385,519
London Borough of Waltham Forest Chingford Hub £347,000
London Borough of Waltham Forest Rowan House £164,000
London Borough of Waltham Forest Russell Road £259,000
London Borough of Waltham Forest Lea Bridge Stations Site £1,079,320
London Borough of Waltham Forest Cedarwood House £328,000
London Borough of Waltham Forest Erskine Road Car Park £142,000
London Borough of Waltham Forest Osbourne Grove £364,000
London Borough of Waltham Forest Outset Centre £338,000
London Borough of Waltham Forest The Ferguson Centre £351,000
Newark and Sherwood District Council Stodman Street £284,000
North Devon Council Bicclescombe Depot £500,000
North Somerset Council Walliscote Place £1,075,000
Nottingham City Council Colwick Road £52,000
Nottingham City Council Innovation House £100,000
Nottingham City Council Robin Hood Chase £70,000
Oxford City Council Underhill Circus £479,440
Peterborough City Council Middleholme £550,000
Plymouth City Council Victoria Place £177,500
Portsmouth City Council Sunward Road £120,000
Portsmouth City Council Cabbagefield Row £1,663,000
Portsmouth City Council Ernest Road £90,000
Portsmouth City Council Beaulieu Avenue Garages £60,000
Portsmouth City Council Beaulieu Avenue Parking Court £60,000
Portsmouth City Council Rownhams Road £60,000
Portsmouth City Council Kingsclere Avenue £60,000
Portsmouth City Council High Lawn Way £90,000
Portsmouth City Council Kimbridge Crescent £60,000
Portsmouth City Council Marldell Road £90,000
Portsmouth City Council Longstock Road £60,000
Portsmouth City Council Forestside £60,000
Portsmouth City Council Whitsbury Road £90,000
RB Kensington and Chelsea Hurstway and Testerton £509,188
Reading Borough Council Phase 1, Minster Quarter £2,000,000
Richmond upon Thames Council Twickenham Riverside £599,522
Richmond upon Thames Council Elleray Community Hall and Housing Scheme £250,000
Rother District Council King Offa Residential £500,000
Royal Borough of Greenwich Catlin Street Old Kent Road £350,000
South Gloucestershire Council The Grange, Warmley £2,020,000
South Tyneside Council  Holborn Riverside Regeneration £1,850,000
Staffordshire County Council Eastgate Regeneration Programme £581,800
Stevenage Borough Council Brent Court £750,000
Stroud District Council Cambridge House Dursley £94,000
Stroud District Council Glebelands, Cam £215,000
Stroud District Council Orchard Road Ebley £50,000
Stroud District Council Gloucester Street £62,000
Teignbridge District Council Orchard Lane £275,000
Teignbridge District Council Howton Fields £585,474
Torbay Council Brixham TCCP £675,000
Torbay Council Torre marine £415,000
West Oxfordshire District Council Chipping Norton Exemplar £78,000
Wiltshire Council Salisbury Rawlence Road HRA £88,583
Wiltshire Council Amesbury Imber Avenue HRA £89,750
Wokingham Borough Council Self-build - Toutley East, Wokingham £494,000
Worcestershire County Council Shrubhill Quarter, Worcester £985,000

Office address and general enquiries

2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Email correspondence@levellingup.gov.uk

General enquiries: please use this number if you are a member of the public 030 3444 0000

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@levellingup.gov.uk

Please use this number if you are a journalist wishing to speak to Press Office 0303 444 1209

Published 12 October 2021
Last updated 12 October 2021 + show all updates
  1. Added list of successful bids.

  2. First published.