Regeneration to revitalise cities

Disused brownfield sites across England are to be regenerated as part of a release of funds aiming to deliver thousands of new homes and jobs.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has announced that councils across England will be able to bid for a share of £60 million from the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2.

The hope is that this will help bring neglected urban areas back into use, support regeneration projects and boost local economies.

The funding aims to deliver 5,800 new homes by March 2027, create around 18,000 new jobs in the housing and construction sector, while helping thousands of first-time buyers into homeownership.

£35 million of the £180 million fund has already been allocated and the remaining funding will be made available to councils over the next two years.

The full brownfield fund hopes to deliver 17,600 new homes and 56,000 skilled new jobs over the next four years, helping to transform communities and level up the country.

RIBA president, Simon Allford says: “We are pleased to hear details of the government’s new Brownfield Land Release Fund to help deliver new homes and revitalise neglected parts of our cities.

“Regeneration must meet the needs of the communities it is built around – and this recognition of the history and future potential of these existing communities is key.

“The new homes resulting must also be well designed to be accessible, desirable and sustainable; so the creation of genuinely affordable housing is a national priority.

“To this end we will continue to work closely with the government and the construction industry to ensure new buildings meet the highest design quality and environmental standards.

“To help us all achieve this, it is also vital that planning departments are properly resourced to attract and retain qualified design expertise.”