Housebuilding more than just a numbers game, government warned

The government is being urged to not just treat housebuilding as a numbers game.

It comes as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities released its latest funding boost for councils with the launch of the Brownfield Land Release Fund. 

Councils will be able to apply for a share of a new £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund, which will help to transform disused urban areas into 17,600 new homes and create around 54,000 jobs over the next four years.

An initial £40m is available to support local regeneration projects, releasing council land for more than 4,000 new homes and creating 12,400 jobs. 

The remaining £140m will be made available to councils over the next two years.

But Eleanor Bateman, policy officer at agency trade body Propertymark, warned that it is important to build the right types of homes in the most appropriate places.

She said: "As housing supply continues to fall short of what is needed, it is positive that the UK government has launched a new round of Brownfield Land Release funding, which is vital for bringing forward publicly-owned brownfield land and meeting local housing targets.

"But while the levelling up agenda is likely to mean that much of the investment goes to the north of England, the UK Government must not overlook mounting affordability pressures in other parts of the country.

"Housing delivery is more than simply a numbers game, and location, tenure and type must continue to be priorities if the UK Government is truly committed to boosting supply to accommodate all needs."