Results released from first year of New Homes Accelerator, designed to speed up the building of homes across England
The Government reports its New Homes Accelerator has helped speed up the delivery of 36,000 new homes across England and driven forward planning proposals for another 63,000 homes.
The programme, which was established last year, focuses on getting building work started more quickly by removing the planning and regulatory bottlenecks, enabling thousands of potential housing developments to progress more quickly.
Figures released show intervention through targeted support, including providing local areas with additional planning capacity and removing regulatory hurdles, has helped to speed up the delivery of 36,000 new homes across England that were not building out as fast as they should have.
It’s also attributed with driving forward planning proposals for another 63,000 homes.
The New Homes Accelerator is said to have addressed the challenges that were holding back development on scores of large consented sites across the country by using resources and expertise available to government and its housing and regeneration agency, Homes England.
The expert team will now tackle specific problems on six new sites including:
- Comeytrowe Garden Community, also known as Orchard Grove, in Somerset
- Wisley Airfield in Guildford
- North Leigh Park in Wigan
- Hampden Fields in Aylesbury
- Billet Road in Redbridge, London.
- High Road West in Haringey, London.
Together, targeted support through the Accelerator will expedite the delivery of over 12,000 homes with at least 25% affordable housing across all sites.
The intervention is part of wider government reforms to tackle the country’s housing crisis and deliver its 1.5 million homes Plan for Change mission.
Government intervention has also seen the National Planning Policy Framework overhauled, the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill and £39 billion invested into the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said: “We’ve rolled up our sleeves and are breaking down the barriers which stop us from building the houses to buy and rent that families and young people need, helping to speed up the delivery of tens of thousands of new homes already.
“We are continuing to take decisive action through our New Homes Accelerator to speed up the delivery of homes, meet our stretching 1.5 million homes target through the Plan for Change, and get spades in the ground to turn the tide on the housing crisis.”
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m pleased the government is working with London boroughs to unblock housebuilding as part of its plan to deliver the good growth our country needs.
“I’m determined to use all the powers at my disposal to build the homes Londoners need and get Britain building again.
“I look forward to working with Ministers on the action and investment needed to accelerate the delivery of new homes, as we continue building a better, fairer London for everyone.”