TCPA says homes target remains vital to social justice but Government needs to go further to maintain the industry » Housing » 24dash.com

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) welcomes Housing Minister Caroline Flint's pledge to build more and better homes in challenging market conditions, with a funding package of £510 million to reward councils who release land for development and a second round of New Growth Points to deliver up to 75 000 homes, announced in the Government's report 'Facing the housing challenge action today, innovation for tomorrow' published today.

TCPA Chief Executive Gideon Amos said: "The credit crunch is clearly now provoking an even greater need for affordable and sustainable homes. The housing and planning funding for local authorities, the new local authority led growth points and the associated infrastructure funding is a thoroughly welcome package for those otherwise unlikely to get a decent home."

Speaking about the Government's housing targets Gideon Amos said: "The number of new families and households actually forming in this country remains unchanged, regardless of the economy, so the objective to increase the number of homes provided each year to 240,000 continues to be right in social justice and sustainable planning terms."

On the review of public land availability the TCPA calls for urgent release of land on terms that will ensure key developments can continue. Gideon Amos added: "Measures now need to go further in ensuring Local Housing Companies deliver on their promise and that in key locations, including eco-towns, well planned development is now realised.

"Public land can and should now be provided on terms that ensure key developments, both for the industry and for society, happen as planned."

The 20 local authorities and partnerships announced today as second round Growth Points have been allocated £100m funding over the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period 2008/09 to 2010/11 which will help deliver early site infrastructure such as schools and hospitals and also fund further studies into the potential impacts of growth, such as water supply and flood risk.

Unlike the first round of Growth Points which were mostly among some of the least affordable towns in the country, the second round of Growth Points include the three northern regions where there are challenges of market restructuring and regeneration.

Gideon Amos said: "Housing need is spread throughout the country and the New Growth Points reflect this from Dover to Carlisle and for the first time major Northern cities including Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle are included as well as large and small towns like Darlington, St Austell and Stafford.

"Responding positively to local authority partners who are keen to pursue growth, the Government has recognised with the New Growth Point locations that although challenges may be different geographically communities have similar growth aspirations, including local infrastructure delivery and the development of brownfield sites."

The Growth Points initiative is a bottom-up approach to housing growth where local authority partners wishing to strengthen their economic potential and promote large scale regeneration form partnerships agreements with Government for criteria specific funding.

The Growth Points programme and the eco-towns initiative are both parts of the solution to delivering the 3 million homes needed by 2020.