Councils in England can bid for a share of a £180 million fund designed to transform disused urban sites into new homes and create jobs.
The Government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund forms part of its plans to level up communities and turn unloved areas into new places to live and work.
An initial £40 million tranche is expected to help release council land for around 4,000 new homes and create 12,400 jobs. The remaining £140 million will be made available to councils over the next two years.
In total, the fund is expected to deliver 17,600 new homes and create around 54,000 new jobs over the next four years.
The latest funding builds on the success of the first £77 million Brownfield Land Release Fund, which saw 7,750 new homes built by councils across the country.
The Brownfield Land Release Fund is delivered through the One Public Estate partnership between the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Office of Government Property and the LGA.
Cllr James Jamieson, LGA Chairman, said: “We are delighted to be a key partner in supporting the Government’s £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF2).
“Councils sit at the centre of the collective national ambition to provide more and better housing, and this fund offers an excellent opportunity for English councils to unlock their brownfield land for new homes and deliver local housing priorities.
“With multiple application windows over the next three years and built-in support from the One Public Estate programme, councils can tackle complex and challenging brownfield sites to benefit their communities.”