Brownfield fund revitalises derelict sites

The launch of the £180M Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 will see derelict and unused brownfield sites across the UK transformed.

Thousands of new homes will be developed thanks to the fund, creating thriving communities and levelling up the country.

Councils will be able to bid for first £40M from early July, with a further £140M to be allocated over the next two years, building on the success of an earlier £77M fund to support the regeneration of unused brownfield sites.

Under the fund, disused urban areas will be transformed into 17,600 new homes and create around 54,000 jobs over the next four years. The move will boost local economies and help thousands of young people and families into homeownership.

The scheme forms part of the government’s plan to level up communities across the country and turn unloved areas into new places for people to live and work

Minister for Government Efficiency Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “Opening up this land is a fantastic opportunity for regeneration, improving government efficiency and playing a vital role in tackling the housing shortage while increasing home ownership. I am pleased to see this work is being delivered, after many attempts over the decades.

“This will provide a boost to the economy, foster the creation of thousands of jobs, and it is also the opportunity to convert derelict and unloved land into beautiful new hamlets or villages, which will give many young families their first step on the housing ladder.”

The fund aims to support the transformation of small council-owned sites that have been previously developed, by funding small scale infrastructure and remediation work to enable the release of the land for new homes.

The previous scheme saw a number of successful projects, including:

• £670,000 to support the remediation of land at Griffin Housing Regeneration site in Blackburn. This enabled the phase 1 development of the site to progress and deliver 140 new homes for affordable rent or shared ownership.
• In Blackpool, £400,000 provided a new traffic system for a development at Ryscar Way. The improved road access opened up land for 51 new homes.
• In Rotherham, £300,000 unlocked the sites of two former adult care residential facilities to provide 44 new homes for first-time buyers and older people in the local area.
• As with the previous scheme, the new fund will be delivered through the One Public Estate partnership between the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Office of Government Property and the Local Government Association.

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