Major progress made on Mayor’s brownfield plan to deliver new homes

Credit: Onclusive News

More families, young people and key workers will be able to access affordable homes in their local communities with the Mayor of the East Midlands’ brownfield regeneration plan is on track to deliver more than 1,000 properties.

The Brownfield Housing Fund (BHF) programme is already supporting the delivery of 1,765 homes across the region over the next four years, with thousands more expected through the first three phases of the scheme.

The fund will help meet housing demand while transforming derelict and underused sites into thriving, sustainable and energy-efficient neighbourhoods.

Of these homes, 715 are set to be affordable, making up 40 per cent of the overall programme. Affordable housing plays a vital role in ensuring local people can access safe, secure homes they can afford.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “Everyone deserves access to a safe, secure and affordable home, and with residents already moving into properties delivered through this programme, we are seeing the real difference it is making across the East Midlands.

“By transforming brownfield land, we are creating new homes in places where infrastructure and services already exist, while breathing new life into sites that have often stood unused for years.

“I’m confident this programme will attract investment, strengthen communities and deliver the regeneration our region deserves.”

Progress on the fund was highlighted at the latest East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) Board meeting, held today, Monday 20 July, at Rushcliffe Arena, West Bridgford.

EMCCA has secured £93.7 million through the Government’s Brownfield Housing Fund across three phases, helping to accelerate housing delivery on sites that might otherwise remain undeveloped.

Thousands more homes are expected to be delivered through future phases of the programme.

Projects transforming communities across the East Midlands

Construction is already under way on several sites across the region. Projects supported through the fund include:

• Balderton Rise, Newark: A £1.7m EMCCA investment is supporting Lovell and Platform Housing Group to deliver 309 homes on the former Flowserve factory site in New Balderton;
• Nottingham Community Housing Association has been awarded almost £1.94m to deliver 159 affordable homes across four developments in Arnold, Chesterfield, Warsop and Newark;
• Nottingham War Rooms, Beechdale: A £2.1m investment from EMCCA’s Brownfield Housing Fund has enabled the development of 104 affordable homes on disused land surrounding the Grade II-listed former regional war room and Cold War nuclear bunker;
• White Hart Street, Mansfield: A £1m investment has unlocked a site that has remained underused for more than a decade in Mansfield town centre. The development will deliver 43 high-quality homes.

Building sustainable communities for the future
Brownfield sites are previously developed land that are no longer in use which have the potential to be regenerated for new homes, businesses, or community spaces.

Brownfield regeneration makes the best use of these existing roads, public transport links, schools and local services, ensuring new development is delivered in sustainable and well-connected locations.

EMCCA is continuing to work with local authorities, housing providers and development partners as the programme moves into its next phase, bringing forward further projects that deliver new homes, affordable housing and long-term regeneration benefits for communities across the East Midlands.

BHF is part of a wider effort between EMCCA and Homes England as part of their Strategic Place Partnership to attract investment and accelerate the delivery of homes and regeneration projects to meet Mayor Claire’s ambition of delivering 100,000 homes across the region.

This includes increasing the supply of affordable homes, supporting more young people into home ownership and addressing housing affordability pressures.