Government in England has called on Local Authorities there to follow the action of central government and make efforts to release surplus land for housing development, along with following new regulations to <\/u>publish property and asset registers<\/u><\/p>\n
DCLG writes:
\n<\/u>Communities Secretary Greg Clark will this week lead the charge for Whitehall departments to let go of surplus and redundant land and property for new homes \u2013 and for town halls to follow suit.<\/p>\n
Speaking ahead of the first meeting of a dedicated ministerial Housing Taskforce, Mr Clark is urging departments to \u2018loosen their grip\u2019 on sites that are standing idle so they can be released for new housebuilding, with a clear target to release enough land for 150,000 homes by 2020 \u2013 equivalent to the number of homes in Wakefield.<\/p>\n
He is also calling on England\u2019s 326 councils to follow the government\u2019s lead and look at the land assets they hold, and use some of those plots, particularly those on brownfield sites, to provide new homes for their communities.<\/p>\n
Communities Secretary Greg Clark said: The chance to own your own home should be available to everyone who works hard and aspires to. That is what a government for working people is about \u2013 making sure people have the security they need to build a brighter future for them and their families.\u00a0 The scale of our ambition is clear \u2013 to release enough surplus and redundant public sector land for 150,000 homes over the next 5 years.<\/p>\n
I want to see departments going further and faster than before, starting right away, to loosen their grip on sites that are standing idle and to turn them over for house building.\u00a0 Councils are significant landowners and town halls should be looking at their estate, particularly brownfield sites, and thinking about how they could make better use of their holdings by releasing land for new homes for their communities..<\/p>\n
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: Housebuilding is at an 7-year high, with construction starts up 5% over the last year alone \u2013 we must maintain this momentum.\u00a0 A key way we\u2019re doing that is by looking again at the land government departments own, with enough land released over the last Parliament for 103,000 homes.<\/p>\n
Over the next 5 years, we\u2019re going to go further and faster \u2013 but where Whitehall is leading, town halls should follow, ensuring their land can be put to good use to deliver new homes across the country.<\/p>\n
Housebuilding is an important part of the government\u2019s long-term economic plan, with starts at their highest annual level since 2007.<\/p>\n
During the taskforce meeting the Secretary of State will highlight how enough formerly-used, surplus public sector land has already been released for 103,000 homes \u2013 surpassing the Prime Minister\u2019s original target set in 2011.\u00a0 But over the next 5 years, the government will work to release enough land for a further 150,000 homes \u2013 equivalent to the same number of homes in Wakefield.\u00a0 The Department for Communities and Local Government and its delivery agency, the Homes and Communities Agency, have already identified around 150 sites, enough for 14,000 new homes, which can be made ready for sale for house building \u2013 on top of the 146 sites they have already released in the last 5 years.<\/p>\n
Mr Clark will urge ministers at the taskforce to go further and look again at the catalogue of sites they hold, ensuring every possible plot is being released for housebuilding.\u00a0 But he will also argue that councils, as a significant landowner, should play their part.<\/p>\n
The new local government transparency code means councils must publish their property and asset registers.<\/p>\n
Government accounts show that in 2011, councils held \u00a3223 billion of assets \u2013 of which \u00a3108 billion was in land and buildings.<\/p>\n
The Housing Bill, announced in the Queen\u2019s Speech, will require local authorities to establish and maintain a register of brownfield land suitable for housing development, which will include their own land.<\/p>\n
Already some councils are releasing land, including:<\/p>\n
But the Communities Secretary will argue that more councils should be releasing land for housing for the benefit of their local residents as well as those looking to move into their area.<\/p>\n
View the press release<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Government in England has called on Local Authorities there to follow the action of central government and make efforts to release surplus land for housing development, along with following new regulations to publish property and asset registers DCLG writes: Communities … Continue reading