Councils will receive £68 million to clean up brownfield sites

The cash will enable 54 councils to clear empty buildings, old car parks and industrial land to make way for 5,200 new homes.

The funding, provided through the Brownfield Land Allocation Fund, will cover the cost of decontamination, cleaning up unused buildings or improving infrastructure such as internet, water and electricity.

Some of the projects that will benefit from the support are as follows:

• £2.9m for Manchester to unlock a vacant brownfield site for the construction of 220 much-needed affordable homes
• £2.2 million to Eastbourne to transform a former industrial site and build 100 new homes, including 80 affordable homes
• A £1.7m-plus development in the town center in Weston-Super-Mare will allow more than 100 homes to be built on brownfield land
• £1.4 million to Northampton to transform a former bus depot and deliver 72 new homes

Homes England will also invest £30 million to help accelerate the transformation of the Riverside Sunderland area from a former industrial hub into a thriving new mixed-use development.

Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook said: “The funding announced today will support the delivery of thousands of new homes and boost economic growth by unlocking development in the many derelict, disused and neglected urban areas across the country.”