£470,000 housing fund to develop Brownfield sites in Darlington

Brownfield sites throughout the town will be prioritised as part of plans to end the regional housing crisis and get more families onto the property ladder. 

Darlington Borough Council will use the funding to deliver 27 new homes on sites such as empty buildings, former car parks and industrial land.

The locations for the 27 new homes will be confirmed by the local authority in due course. 

An overall fund of £68 million for 54 councils was announced by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government. 

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. 

Brownfield land is often expensive to prepare for housebuilding, meaning sites are sat empty and an eyesore for local communities.  

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. 

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“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”.