Guidance

DLUHC local growth and place fund register

This page brings together information about funding programmes from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that are levelling up places across the UK by investing in local growth and place.

From:
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Published
4 July 2023

Overview

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is investing in local growth and place through various funding programmes to ensure that levelling up is a success across the United Kingdom.

In the Levelling Up White Paper, the government committed to setting out a plan for simplifying and streamlining the funding landscape and to help local stakeholders navigate funding opportunities. The government’s plan for simplifying the funding landscape for local authorities sets out our ambition for increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the current funding system.

To improve transparency and help stakeholders navigate funding, this page brings together information on various funds managed by DLUHC (or its executive agencies) which contribute to local growth and place by investing in a range of interventions, including regeneration, housing and local business support. Where applicable, this includes links to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) guidance to make it easier for funding recipients to comply with the M&E requirements. M&E guidance is not currently published for all funds, and we will continue to add links to guidance as it becomes available.

This collection of funds only focuses on funding streams that are currently being delivered and does not include any announcements of new funding. The funds in this list are not necessarily those that will be subject to the measures included in the funding simplification plan. We will work with local authorities and other key stakeholders as we develop our proposals for future reform.

This page will be updated to reflect changes to DLUHC’s local growth and place funding offer. You can also use the pilot Find a Grant service to search for various types of grants from across government. Whereas the Find a Grant service only includes grants that are open for application, to help stakeholders better understand the local funding landscape, this register includes all DLUHC funds which invest in local growth and place that are currently being delivered, regardless of whether they are open for application.

You can also access a glossary of funding terms.

Affordable Homes Programme

Delivered by the Greater London Authority in London and by Homes England elsewhere in England.

Funding timings: 2021-22 to 2025-26

HM Government funding: £11.5 billion

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: The Affordable Homes Programme grants funds to registered providers and local authorities to increase the supply of affordable housing in England.

Is there funding still to be allocated? Yes

Further information:

Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal

Funding timings: 2021-22 to 2030-31

HM Government funding: £265 million (£190 million DLUHC).

Geographical scope: Cross-border – this Deal includes funding from DLUHC for English elements. The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is supported jointly by the Scottish Government and UK Government. Other city and growth deals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive funding from HM Treasury and so are not included in this list.

Objectives: The Borderlands Partnership exists to unlock the potential for sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the South of Scotland and North of England. The Partnership’s ambition is built upon four strategic themes: improving places; supporting business, innovation and skills; enabling infrastructure; and encouraging green growth. By leveraging opportunities to grow as individuals across communities and as successful businesses, the Borderlands Partnership is creating vibrant places to live, work and visit across the Borderlands area.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

Further information:

Brownfield Housing Fund

Funding timings: 2020-21 to 2024-25

HM Government funding: £550 million

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: To support 7 mayoral combined authorities in the Midlands and North to unlock 36,000 new homes, bringing under-utilised brownfield land back into use and contribute to levelling up our country.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund

Funding timings: 2023-24 to 2025-26

HM Government funding: £1.5 billion

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: The primary objective of the Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund is to support economic growth and housing supply where there is evidenced need and opportunity, with a focus on brownfield land. The fund also has a number of secondary cross-cutting objectives:

  • supporting SME housebuilders to access land and development finance
  • promoting innovation and Modern Methods of Construction
  • promoting high quality/well designed and sustainable development and transport
  • supporting government’s ambition to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050

Is there funding still to be allocated? Yes

Brownfield Land Release Fund 2

Delivered through the One Public Estate programme.

Funding timings: 2022-23 to 2024-25

HM Government funding: £180 million

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: To support local authorities across England to release local authority owned brownfield land for housing by providing grant funding for remediation and small-scale infrastructure. The key aim of BLRF2 is to release council-owned land within three years of receiving the funding, for housing development that otherwise would not come forward during that period.

Is there funding still to be allocated? Yes

Further information:

Changing Places Fund

Funding timings: 2020-21 to 2023-24

HM Government funding: £30.5 million

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: £30.5 million is available to local authorities to boost the number of Changing Places toilets over 3 years. They are a vital facility for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets and for their family and carers. This funding will boost provision where most needed.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

Further information:

Community Ownership Fund

Funding timings: 2021-22 to 2024-25

HM Government funding: £150 million

Geographical scope: UK-wide

Objectives: The £150 million Community Ownership Fund helps communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets at risk of closure. It helps to ensure that important parts of the social fabric, such as pubs, sports clubs, theatres and post office buildings, can continue to play a central role in towns and villages across the UK by investing directly in community groups as part of the government’s ambitious levelling up agenda.

Is there funding still to be allocated? Yes

Further information:

Freeports

Funding timings: 2021-22 to 2024-25 (England)

HM Government funding: £312 million (UK Government, Welsh Government and Scottish Government)

Geographical scope: Currently England, Scotland and Wales

Objectives: The 12 Freeports (8 in England, 2 in Scotland, and 2 in Wales) will bring investment and jobs in sectors of the future to parts of the UK that have historically missed out. They will do that through each receiving a combination of generous tax reliefs on new investment, local retention and reinvestment of all business rates generated by that investment, and £26 million of central government funding.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

Further information:

Housing Infrastructure Fund

Funding timings: 2018-19 to 2027-28

HM Government funding: £4.2 billion

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: Grant funding to local authorities to provide infrastructure which will unlock housing in areas of high housing demand.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

Further information:

Investment Funds

Funding timings: 2014-15 to 2049-50

HM Government funding: £9.6 billion

Geographical scope: England

Objectives: Investment Funds are fully devolved enabling local areas to invest in activities that drive net additional economic growth. An independent evaluation leading to a Gateway Review every 5 years is an integral part of each Deal. The Gateway Reviews are the primary evaluation mechanism where government can assess how areas are using their funding to deliver the aspirations and objectives in their Devolution Deals, before deciding on unlocking the next 5 years funding levels.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

Further information:

Land Assembly Fund (National)

Delivered by Homes England.

Funding timings: From 2018-19 (ongoing)

HM Government funding: £1 billion

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: The Land Assembly Fund will acquire sites and invest in infrastructure, enabling works and de-risking, where it is justified in order to overcome identified market failures and bringing the sites forward for residential (or housing-led) development. Homes England use the Land Assembly Fund to acquire, remediate and dispose of land typically in areas of greatest housing demand. Homes England can acquire from both public and private partners, developing relationships where the fund might be best deployed according to set criteria.

Is there funding still to be allocated? Yes

Levelling Up Fund

Funding timings: 2021-22 to 2025-26

HM Government funding: £4.8 billion

Geographical scope: UK-wide

Objectives: The Levelling Up Fund is designed to invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact and improves everyday life across the UK. The £4.8 billion fund will support town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets.

Is there funding still to be allocated? Yes, we have set aside £100 million for culture projects to be announced in due course.

M&E guidance:

Further information:

Levelling Up Home Building Fund

Delivered by Homes England.

Funding timings: 2021-22 to 2025-26

HM Government funding: £1.5 billion (in this Spending Review period)

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: Support SME and MMC housebuilders to grow their businesses and market share, by providing finance, including through lending alliances and joint ventures to support the diversification of the housebuilding sector and the building of more homes and regeneration in the process.

Is there funding still to be allocated? Yes

Further information:

Levelling Up Parks Fund

Funding timings: 2021-22 to 2022-23

HM Government funding: £9 million (£7.2 million to local authorities and £1.7 million to Devolved Administrations)

Geographical scope: UK-wide

Objectives: Create new or significantly refurbished green spaces in urban areas that need it most.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

Further information:

Towns Fund (including Town Deals and the Future High Streets Fund)

Funding timings: 2019-20 to 2025-26

HM Government funding: £3.6 billion (this includes £300 million which is now being delivered through the Levelling up Fund)

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: To increase economic growth with a focus on regeneration, improved transport, better broadband connectivity, skills and culture.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

M&E guidance:

Further information:

Traveller Site Fund

Funding timings: 2022-23 only

HM Government funding: £10 million

Geographical scope: England only

Objectives: To support local authorities in building new and refurbished transit and permanent traveller sites; and provide temporary stopping places and facilities for travellers.

Is there funding still to be allocated? No

Further information:

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Funding timings: 2022-23 to 2024-25

HM Government funding: £2.6 billion

Geographical scope: UK-wide

Objectives: The UKSPF will support the UK government’s wider commitment to level up all parts of the UK by delivering on each of the levelling up objectives:

  • boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards by growing the private sector
  • spread opportunities and improve public services
  • restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging
  • empower local leaders and communities

UKSPF includes Multiply, which is managed by the Department for Education in England and by DLUHC in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England, UKSPF includes the Rural England Prosperity Fund.

Is there funding still to be allocated? Yes, we have set aside £100 million for culture projects to be announced in due course.

M&E guidance:

Further information:

Published 4 July 2023
Contents