As part of the government’s intention to increase housing in the UK and support the new build sector across the entire nation, they announced the new Brownfield Land Release fund in December. This pot of £100 million will start being made available this month.
The Brownfield Land Release fund means that councils across England can apply for a portion of the £100 million that is being made available. The government has said the fund is intended ‘to support brownfield development, estates regeneration, development on public sector land and self and custom-build serviced plots’.
Additionally, the government have announced they intend to revise what is known as the ‘80/20 rule’, to ensure that funding of this kind is not solely concentrated in the South East and London. This may open up more business and employment opportunities for the new build sector across the country.
Regarding the announcement, Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, said: ‘This government wants to build more homes as a matter of social justice, for intergenerational fairness and to create jobs for working people.’ This messaging is in line with the recent promise of the government to ‘build back
better’, which may suggest the focus on construction and housing is a priority.
