£732 Million Handout To Councils For Housebuilding

Housing and planning minister Yvette Cooper has announced that £732 million will be allocated to councils that support the building of homes in their districts.

It is anticipated that this investment will go someway towards the funding required for the construction of nearly 3 million new homes by 2020.

It is hoped that the money, which will be available over the next three years, will benefit over 68 towns and cities across England which have already volunteered for housing growth as existing growth areas.

Speaking at the Future Homes conference, Yvette Cooper said:
"Those councils and communities that are doing their bit to deliver more homes should get more cash. They need extra funding for infrastructure as well as for local services - we need to invest in communities, not just in bricks and mortar. That means parks and play areas, as well as transport and public services.

"It's only fair that those who are doing most to support homes for the future should get extra support from government too. We've already said they should get £500m over the next three years to spend as they see fit. Now we're setting out extra cash for infrastructure too with more to come for other areas who sign up."

To find out more detail about the proposals for each "Growth Area" click here.