Pickles makes awards under £1bn housing infrastructure programme

15 Aug 14

Some 36 priority housing projects are to receive a share of £850m to help get construction started, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced today.

 

This represents the first wave of a £1bn government scheme to help deliver more than 200,000 new homes across England.

The 36 large-scale housing projects shortlisted by the communities secretary are seen as critical in maintaining the momentum of the housebuilding industry.

The government’s £1bn, five-year large sites infrastructure programme will be used to build the infrastructure needed to provide schemes of at least 1,500 homes.

Funding will go towards road improvements and the building of schools and parks to support the extra homes being planned and will be available between 2015 and 2020 in the form of a long-term loan, with interest.

Pickles said: ‘Residential construction is now at its highest level since 2007 and continuing to rise, and 216,000 new homes were given planning permission last year.

'This is part of our wider package of housing programmes to support home ownership, increase investment in the private rented sector and further increase house building.’

Projects include the continued development of London’s Greenwich Peninsula, which will help to provide nearly 10,000 homes, while funding is also expected to go to Ebbsfleet Eastern Quarry, to support the development of 3,500 homes.

Other developments includes the redevelopment of the former Rugby Radio Station site, to help provide 6,200 homes and schemes made up of more than 4,500 in Taunton, Dover and Bicester

 

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