Plans for public sector land in England to be developed which could see the creation of 10,000 new homes on more than 100 sites across the country, have been revealed. One Public Estate programme has already freed up land for the development of more than 3,000 new homes across England and a further £15 million is being put in by the Government for 10,000 more. The One Public Estate programme was launched in 2013 to make better use of public-sector sites, free up space for new homes and create jobs. It encourages the emergency services, local councils and Government departments to work more closely together by sharing sites and creating public sector hubs. The latest round of the programme will see money and support given to more than 100 local public sector partnerships across England, to bring forward proposals for a range of new projects on public sector sites. These include £680,000 for projects in Waltham Forest, including proposals to bring forward the redevelopment of the 100 year old Whipps Cross Hospital and sites in public and private ownership for housing development in the Forest Road Corridor. Some £505,000 is earmarked for projects in Devon and Torbay, including the regeneration of land around St David’s station in Exeter, and £405,000 for projects in Northamptonshire, including plans to release land around Kettering railway station for the development of new houses and station improvements. There is also £410,000 for projects in Worcestershire, including delivering new housing and regeneration around Redditch station, as part of the Rail Quarter development. ‘Getting the best use out of publicly-owned land can help to regenerate our towns and cities and give people improved access to the services they need,’ said the Minister for Implementation, Oliver Dowden. ‘This programme shows that when government works smarter, with public authorities coming together, taxpayers get better value for money, new jobs are created and space is freed-up for vitally needed new homes,’ he added. The One Public Estate programme is a joint initiative between the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association. It now covers 95% of all local authority areas in England. Funding for the latest round of the programme will help with the creation of feasibility studies and masterplans for the potential development sites. It is hoped the work will bring forward savings of £37million in public-sector running costs and allow the redevelopment of a large number of brownfield sites. ‘This Government is committed to helping more people get on the housing ladder and restoring the dream of home ownership for a new generation. The One Public Estates programme will not only help more people find a home of their own, but also help create jobs and save taxpayers’ money,’ said Housing Minister Kit Malthouse. ‘The latest projects to share £15million of funding will make a real difference to local communities and provide better services to residents,’ he added. Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association, said that this latest round will see the programme now deliver more than 650 projects in total, all of which support councils to work with the wider public sector to deliver the best public services and place for their local communities. ‘The delivery of new homes remains a national priority and with 95% of councils now part of the programme. It’s clear to see that local government remains committed to building the right homes for the places they serve,’ he added.
Around 10,000 homes could be built across 100 sites in England under the government’s One Public Estate programme. The programme was established in 2013 to free up land for homes, better utilise public sector land and create jobs. Land has already been freed up for 3,000 new homes and the scheme will now receive another £15m ($19m) in government funding. Support will be provided to more than 100 local sector partnerships to bring forward proposals, which include regeneration around Exeter St David’s station and redeveloping London's ageing the Local Government Association.