Gov't plans to release land to build 100,000 new homes

8 June 2011 12:12 pm | By Paul Thomas

Housing minister Grant Shapps has announced plans to release enough Government-owned land to build up to 100,000 new homes by 2015.

Shapps said that by this Autumn every Government department with significant land banks will publish plans to release thousands of acres of previously-developed land to house builders.

The amount of previously-developed land owned by the public sector is more than twice the size of Leicester.

The Public Expenditure Committee will go through each department’s plans to make sure every possible site is made available for house building. Government property specialists will also work with each department to ensure all available land is released.

Shapps says: “As one of the country’s biggest landlords, the Government has a critical role to play in making sites available for developers so we can get the homes this country needs built.

“So today, I can confirm an ambitious challenge across Government to release enough land from Whitehall’s grip for 100,000 new homes across the country. Over the coming months, property specialists will work to make sure no stone is left unturned and no site is left unused, and every department’s plans will come under the close scrutiny of a Cabinet committee.”

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