Weston to receive funds to transform neglected lands into homes

Weston will receive over £1.7 million to transform the town centre and the injection of cash will allow over 100 homes to be built on brownfield land, which will mostly be affordable housing.

This is part of a government scheme according to which hundreds of new homes will be built on disused brownfield sites in the South West.

Councillor Mark Canniford, executive member for Spatial Planning, Placemaking and the Economy at North Somerset Council, said: “Dolphin Square is an exciting project for us, supporting local communities through delivery of much needed affordable homes right in the centre of Weston-super-Mare, developed in line with our prioritisation of bringing forward brownfield sites.

“We’re particularly pleased to be able to demonstrate our commitment to mixed tenure development by offering a majority affordable homes, ensuring our communities are vibrant and diverse, and with a central location with good access to jobs, transport, education and other facilities.

“This fits into our placemaking vision for Weston, unlocking the benefit of local and regional growth whilst inviting investment to enable continued improvement to the town, crucial for the people who live and work here.

“By bringing people into the town centre to live, we can also increasing footfall for the local economy.

“Funding streams such as BLRF are critical if councils are to lead development and provide for their residents.

“At North Somerset Council we have a track record of strong project delivery, working with developers to get the most from council-owned sites and we look forward to building on this and realising the potential of the Dolphin Square.”

£68 million, announced today by the Prime Minister, will go to 54 councils.

The funding will mean councils can clear empty buildings, former car parks and industrial land to make way for the homes.

This kind of land is expensive to prepare for housebuilding, meaning sites are sat empty and an eyesore for local communities.

With the funding, delivered through the Brownfield Land Release Fund, councils will be able to cover the cost of decontamination, clearing disused buildings or improving infrastructure such as internet, water and power.

As a result, land will be released to enable 5,200 homes to be built across the country.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “From the outset we promised to get this country building again to deliver 1.5 million homes over this parliament and help tackle the housing crisis we have inherited.

“That is the essence of fixing the foundations and driving growth.

“I said this government is on the side of the builders, not the blockers. And I meant it.

“This funding for councils will see disused sites and industrial wastelands transformed into thousands of new homes in places that people want to live and work.

“Our brownfield-first approach will not only ramp up housebuilding but also create more jobs, deliver much-needed infrastructure, and boost economic growth across the country.

“This government is rolling up its sleeves and delivering the change the British people deserve.”

Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook said: “The government is committed to a brownfield-first approach to housebuilding, and we have already taken steps to prioritise and fast-track building on previously used urban land through our proposals for a ‘brownfield passport’.

The funding announced today will support the delivery of thousands of new homes and boost economic growth by unlocking development on scores of abandoned, disused and neglected urban sites across the country.”

To build on brownfield land, this funding will award:

• Bristol City Council nearly £2.5 million to deliver 171 new homes

• North Somerset Council over £1.7 million to deliver 112 new homes

The three-year £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 was launched in July 2022 to allow local authorities in England to be able to build on blocked brownfield land.

To accelerate housing development and achieve the ambition to build 1.5 million homes, the government has also:

• Announced an overhaul of the planning system through a consultation on reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, including new mandatory housebuilding targets for councils.

• Launched a New Homes Accelerator group to unblock thousands of new homes stuck in the planning system or partially built.

• Introduced ‘brownfield passports’ to ensure where planning proposals meet design and quality standards, the default answer to planning permission is yes.

• Set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create largescale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each.

It comes as earlier today (October 15) it was announced that tens of thousands of new homes will be built across Britain funded by over £550 million worth of impact investments.

These investments, whereby a fund creates beneficial social or environmental impact, has now grown to £76.8 billion in the UK in assets under management.