Tag: Department for Levelling Up

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 3 January 2024.

New wide-ranging review to tackle barriers to make historic homes more energy efficient, while protecting the beauty of these buildings.

New plans have been published today to remove barriers and drive energy efficiency in historic homes, cutting energy bills for households across the country, while also ensuring that the important historical and beautiful features of these homes are properly protected.

The Government wants to see the energy efficiency of historic homes improved but without the blight of ugly or inappropriate retrofit damaging these properties.

The Government has published its review into the challenges households face when retrofitting in conservation areas and listed buildings.

Currently, owners of home built before 1919 face paying on average £428 a year more on energy bills if their home is not energy efficient*, while the review found planning was a major issue faced by households, with frustration about the time it takes to get planning permission.

The review has set out a series of commitments to drive energy efficiency and low carbon heating improvements to listed buildings and buildings in conservation areas across England, as part of the Government’s commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050.

Minister for Housing and Communities Baroness Penn said: 

“Our historic homes are the jewel in the crown of this country’s heritage and must be protected.

“This review will ensure they are preserved for future generations to enjoy, while also improve the lives of those who live in them by reducing their energy costs, supporting us in our shared goal to reach Net Zero by 2050.”

Minister for Arts & Heritage Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

“People who own and live in historic homes are their custodians, and want to take responsible action to protect them for the benefit of generations to come.

“That isn’t always as straightforward as it should be, so this review has looked at how we can make it easier, while continuing to protect our historic environment.”

Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said:

“We’ve already made huge progress in improving energy efficiency – with almost half of all homes in England at an EPC rating of C or above, up from 14% in 2010.

“Today’s measures will now help to keep historic homes warm for less, while protecting our heritage as we progress towards our net zero goal.”

Commitments set out in the review to drive energy efficiency include:

• A consultation on new national development management policy specially for historic buildings, ensuring greater certainty and consistency in decisions.
• Consulting on the greater use of Listed Building Consent Orders to support building improvements, removing the need to submit individual listed building consent applications.
• Developing clearer guidance for historic homeowners on improving energy efficiency and supporting the construction industry to better deliver retrofitting services.
• Consulting on reforms to Energy Performance Certificates to ensure they are  accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: 

“Historic England welcomes this Energy Efficiency Review and the positive actions it highlights. Historic buildings can and must accommodate change if they are to play a crucial role in helping the UK to transition to Net Zero.

“This review demonstrates that heritage needn’t be a barrier and identifies opportunities to unlock the potential of historic buildings in England to contribute to meeting our Net Zero target.”

The measures outlined in ‘Adapting Historic Homes for Energy Efficiency: A Review of the Barriers’, will make life easier for those who own and live in historic homes, while ensuring the country’s heritage is protected.

The review has been developed in partnership with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, supported by Historic England.

In the British Energy Security Strategy, published April 2022, the Government committed to undertake a review of the practical planning barriers households can face when installing energy efficiency measures such as improved glazing in conservation areas and listed buildings.

Evidence collected during the review and feedback from stakeholders highlighted that barriers were wider than just the planning system. The scope of the review was therefore, broadened to examine a wider set of challenges to retrofitting historic homes, and to identify where further work is needed.

Further information:

• According to the English Housing Survey 2021, homes built before 1919 could save on average £428 per year on energy costs if they are improved to EPC C, through insulation or other energy saving measures.
• ‘Adapting Historic Homes for Energy Efficiency: A Review of the Barriers’ is available to view here.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 27 December 2023.

A consultation launched today will ensure greater transparency and tackle corruption in the property sector, by making it clearer who owns land trusts.

As part of decisive action to ensure greater transparency and tackle corruption in the property sector, it will be made clearer who owns land trusts.

The government has today, 27 December 2023, launched a consultation setting out plans to improve the transparency of trust information.

Land ownership through a trust means someone legally owns and manages the land on behalf of the true owner and beneficiary. Currently, the identity of the beneficiary is not always recorded or publicly available, potentially leading to secrecy or corruption in the sector.

The new plans will mean residents, the media and the public will be able to find out more about who owns land and property, who can control it and receives financial benefit from it.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said:

It matters who really owns land and property. It matters for how and where we build our homes, grow our food, and power our country.

These proposals will lift the veil of secrecy currently afforded to land-holding trusts.

Transparency about land ownership is crucial if we want to make our housing and land markets fairer. In its absence, injustices, corruption and crime can flourish.

Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said:

There’s no place for fraud and other illegal activity in our society, so it’s fantastic so see the launch of this consultation which fulfils a government commitment and ensures more is being done to make the trust information held on the Register for Overseas Entities more transparent.

The Register for Overseas Entities is imperative in ensuring we weed out kleptocrats and oligarchs buying up British properties under false names and has already helped identify absent landlords so that they can be held to account.

The changes will make it as easy as possible for people to access all land and property ownership data across the range of different public registers, providing as much free and readily available information as possible.

Greater transparency will help tackle illicit finance and corruption in the system, with offshore trusts in the UK property sector identified as posing a higher risk of money laundering*.

The consultation runs for eight weeks and seeks views on widening access to trust information held on the Register of Overseas Entities and on how ownership of land involving trusts can be made more transparent.

This meets the commitment the government made during the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 to launch a consultation on how we to improve the transparency of trust information before the end of this year. The government intends, subject to this consultation, to bring forward changes as soon as possible thereafter.

Through this act the government strengthened the Register of Overseas Entities – a list of the true owners of offshore companies that own UK land, while the Trust Registration Service in 2017 created the first register of beneficial ownership of trusts with UK links, clamping down on money laundering and terrorist financing.

This builds on new transparency powers announced in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act to demand more information on land and property ownership and look behind the legal ownership of property to find the true ultimate ownership.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 22 December 2023.

The UK Government has announced an action plan of over 50 measures to further accelerate the success of Freeports – a policy reviving the UK’s port communities.

• Over 50 measures including £150 million fund will boost successful Freeports policy, along with special tax incentives extended to 2031
• New strategic roadmap will help key port areas build on Freeports’ £2.9 billion investment and creation of 6,000 jobs
• Plans will be implemented to set timeframes, ensuring timely action to benefit local people in port communities

The government has set out a new roadmap to further accelerate much-needed trade and investment in key port areas across the country.

The successful Freeports policy introduced in 2021 is already empowering strategically located port communities to realise their economic potential – and in just two years, has attracted almost £3 billion of investment which will create over 6,000 jobs.

The new Freeports Delivery Roadmap will help Freeports to go even further by laying out an action plan of over 50 cross-government measures. These include:

• A £150 million Investment Opportunities Fund to help Freeports and Investment Zones respond quickly to land large investment opportunities as they arise.
• Extending the window to claim special tax reliefs in English Freeport sites from five years to ten – securing a whole decade of growth for port communities.

Minister for Levelling Up Jacob Young said:

We are already seeing the vast and undeniable opportunities that Freeports are bringing, having brought in almost £3 billion of investment, which will create thousands of long-term jobs in sectors of the future.

Our action plan in the Freeports Delivery Roadmap will maximise the potential of these communities to become centres of innovation and investment, with clear delivery timeframes to ensure rapid progress.

Our goal is to improve lives for local people in areas historically overlooked and Freeports are helping us achieve that.

The government is committed to taking the long-term decisions required to strengthen the economy, and Freeports are at the heart the government’s levelling up agenda, creating opportunities for everyone – from UK citizens and businesses to foreign investors – and providing vital local regeneration. There are currently twelve Freeports in Great Britain: eight in England, two in Wales and two in Scotland.

Other measures in the roadmap include:

• Improving infrastructure: The UK Infrastructure Bank will work with Freeports to finance upgrades to infrastructure, including through flexible loans to local authorities and debt, equity or guarantees to private sector investors.
• Skills and workforce access: Ensuring joint working between Freeports, Institutes of Technology and local colleges, and linking local jobseekers to opportunities at Freeports through Jobcentre Plus.
• Investment promotion: Bringing government departments together to look at targeted interventions where Freeports face barriers to investment.
• Programme delivery: Creating an independent advisory panel for Freeports, to increase the business voice within the programme.

The appeal of Freeports is becoming increasingly evident, having already unlocked significant investments including:

• £175 million from Siemens Gamesa to expand its offshore wind blade manufacturing facility in Humber.
• £150 million from ScottishPower to develop a project with Hutchison Ports exploring the development and construction of a multi-hundred MW green hydrogen production facility at Port of Felixstowe.
• £130 million from Associated British Ports at the Port of Southampton, for a shore power project and terminal operating system in support of the automotive sector.

Some of the measures outlined in the Freeports Delivery Roadmap also apply to Investment Zones, which are boosting productivity and growth in areas in need of levelling up.

Together, Freeports and Investment Zones are forming a network of economic hotbeds across the country designed to stimulate private investment into high-potential places, providing more high-priority jobs for local people and levelling up the economy.

The UK Government will work with the devolved administrations to agree how the 10-year window to claim reliefs can be extended across Freeports in Scotland and Wales.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 22 December 2023.

UK Government announces £25 million of levelling up funding to save cherished places like pubs, theatres and museums through its Community Ownership Fund.

• Successful community projects across the UK will receive up to £2 million for the first time, with three heritage theatres winning the top awards
• Funding will ensure local people continue to reap the benefits of their valued community assets, preserving them for future generations

Museums, pubs, parks and cinemas across the country will be kept alive by a £25 million rescue package announced today (22/12/23).

Successful bidders will be given a share of the Community Ownership Fund – a funding pot rescuing community places that form the beating heart of a local community.

More than 70 treasured buildings across the UK will be saved, protecting important community spaces that mean so much to local people. £2 million will be granted to individual projects for the first time ever, with three historic theatres set to benefit from significant funding in this round.

Just over £2 million will go to the historic Wolverhampton Grand Theatre so it can buy a neighbouring 1800s building and turn it into an adjoining venue. This will allow the theatre – which just turned 129 years old – more space to host creative and performing arts activities.

Adrian Jackson, CEO and Artistic Director of the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre said:

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is committed to supporting and empowering our cherished community, therefore the grant from the Community Ownership Fund will allow us to continue to enhance the cultural and creative enrichment within the City.

The theatre has been developing major creative expansion plans for the past six years and these will now finally become a reality. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for recognising the significant impact our work will have on the local community and for this exciting new chapter.

Another £2 million will help secure the long-term future of the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, one of Scotland’s most historic and significant theatres. The heritage building will be extended to improve its disability access. A new community hub will also allow the theatre to host more activities like song-writing and singing, story-telling, language-cafes, relaxed performances and volunteering.

In another win for theatres, over £1 million will restore the historic Jacobs Wells Baths building in Bristol, to bring its live dance and theatre performances to life again. The Grade II Listed building will also provide space for other community activities like jobs fairs, flea markets, dance and fitness classes, youth support and targeted arts and heritage projects that bring young and old people together.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove said:

Investing in communities improves lives – whether that’s rebuilding a community centre, rescuing historic pubs and theatres or upgrading sports facilities used by families every day.

These are unique and cherished places, valued by local people of all ages, and we know how much they mean to communities. The Community Ownership Fund is about restoring pride in the places people call home and I’m delighted to be funding these projects.

The latest round of the Community Ownership Fund will also be supporting:

• 26 community centres and village halls;
• 14 creative buildings including museums, theatres, cinemas, music venues and art galleries;
• 12 sports and leisure clubs;
• 3 commercial buildings for vital community shops, including a post office in rural Derbyshire;
• 8 community pubs; and
• 4 parks and green spaces.

Minister for Levelling Up Jacob Young said:

We’ve had brilliant bids from every corner of the UK and I’m delighted we’re supporting an extra 72 projects with almost £25 million of levelling up funding going directly to community groups.

We know this funding has the power to bring about meaningful change to local people; protecting local spaces, preserving historic buildings, and transforming communities.

Scottish projects in this round will be supported with £8 million of funding, with a further £1.4 million for Northern Ireland and almost £440,000 for Wales. So far, the Community Ownership Fund has awarded a total £13.6 million for 43 projects in Scotland; £5.5 million for 24 projects in Northern Ireland and £4.2 million for 19 projects in Wales.

In England, the latest funding round will support:

• 4 projects worth £1.2 million in the North West – including £360,000 so the community in Ashton can buy and restore their Golden Lion pub
• 3 projects worth almost £600,000 in the North East – including over £273,000 to preserve the medieval St Mary’s Church in Gateshead, so it can host more community events
• 8 projects worth £2.3 million in Yorkshire and the Humber – including £240,000 to restore Charlotte Brontë’s birthplace in Bradford and boost local tourism
• 6 projects worth almost £2 million in the East Midlands – including £700,000 to transform Loughborough’s 1930s Generator Hall into an arts and culture hub for the community
• 5 projects worth £3 million in the West Midlands – including £2 million for the historic Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
• 6 projects worth £1.6 million in the East of England – including £300,000 to turn a three-acre site into a new community park with a play area and outdoor gym in Canvey Island

The Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young visited two Community Ownership Fund projects in Gateshead this week (20/12/23). One of them included the Fighting All Cancers Together Family Community Centre which supports people diagnosed with cancer. The building recently finished renovation works using £300,000 from the last round of the Community Ownership Fund. The minister also visited the heritage St Mary’s Church which has just been awarded over £273,000 for energy efficient works, so it can continue to host its community.

The next funding window of the Community Ownership Fund is now open for bids and will close on 31 January 2024. Projects are being urged to apply for up to £2 million.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 22 December 2023.

A pub and museum, both in North East Wales, will receive a share of £440,000 in UK Government funding.

A community pub is one of the successful Welsh projects set to receive thousands in UK Government funding following a successful bidding round.

Wales will receive a total of £440,000 as part of the Round 3 Window 2 of the Community Ownership Fund.

To date, Wales has received £4.2 million for 19 projects, including a pub frequented by Dylan Thomas. The pub, in the village of Ystrad Aeron in Ceridigion, won a £300,000 grant in September this year.

The Sun Inn community pub, supported by the community Ownership Fund development support provider, will now also receive £292,000 to purchase and renovate the Sun Inn in Eryrys, near Mold to create a social hub for the village that complements the neighbouring Dewi Sant Community Centre.

In Denbighshire, essential renovations to Llangollen Museum will make it available for future generations to enjoy. Once completed, the building will reopen as a museum and art gallery offering a range of educational programmes for schools and educational institutions.

UK Government minister for Levelling Up Jacob Young said:

We’ve had brilliant bids from every corner of the UK and I’m delighted we’re supporting an extra 72 projects with almost £25 million of levelling up funding going directly to community groups.

We know this funding has the power to bring about meaningful change to local people; protecting local spaces, preserving historic buildings, and transforming communities.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:

“Congratulations to the Sun Inn, and the Llangollen Museum which are both receiving funding from the UK Government to safeguard them for the future.

“We recognise how important it is for communities to give the places that are important to them a new lease of life. These projects mean that local people will have somewhere to socialise and amenities that bring them together.”

The Community Ownership Fund is a £150 million fund over 4 years to support community groups across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community.

This window will see £24.7 million awarded to 72 projects across the United Kingdom. This additional funding will take the funding total to £71.4 million for 257 projects.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 19 December 2023.

Over three quarters of mortgage lending in the country is now covered by the commitment, helping more people get on with their lives.

Three high street lenders, Virgin Money, TSB and Skipton Building Society, have joined the commitment to offer mortgages on properties affected by building safety issues.

The three lenders will now consider mortgage applications for properties in buildings that are yet to be remediated, or where leaseholders are protected from remediation costs. This gives those looking to buy, sell and remortgage more choice, allowing people to get on with their lives.

Over three quarters of mortgage lending within England is now covered by the commitment, with the three new lenders recognising the impact of the Government’s reforms and progress in delivering building safety for those who live in high rise properties.

Supported by UK Finance and the Building Societies Association, Virgin Money, TSB and Skipton Building Society are among the latest lenders to add their names to the statement, a year after the first six largest lenders made the same public commitment.

Minister for Building Safety, Lee Rowley, said:

I am extremely pleased to see three new lenders doing the right thing and supporting leaseholders who are stuck in homes with building safety defects.

This is a further sign of the market’s confidence in the solutions that we have put in place to protect leaseholders.

From today, customers impacted by building safety issues will have more choice when looking to buy or re-mortgage. I would encourage more banks and building societies to join the commitment made by Virgin Money, TSB and Skipton.

Karen Appleton, Head of Mortgage Lending at Skipton Building Society, said:

I’m really proud that Skipton Building Society has worked with DLUHC and industry experts to make it possible to sign up to the joint statement, in order to further support customers impacted by the cladding crisis and to play a part in opening up the lending market for flats.

Julian Adams, Head of Property Risk at TSB, said:

TSB is pleased to support the Industry Statement and to offer borrowers greater choice when seeking a mortgage.

Craig Calder, Head of Secured Lending at Virgin Money said:

We’re always looking for ways to support our customers. Working closely with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and e.surv, our valuation Panel Manager, we’ve streamlined our lending processes and signed up to the joint statement on cladding to ensure customers impacted by the cladding crisis receive the additional support they require.

Valuation firms have also played their part in the efforts to improve customers’ journeys. For example Virgin Money’s valuation Panel Manager, e.surv, is the latest to work with the Department to receive and exchange information on affected buildings which will help streamline their valuation processes. Along with other lenders and valuation firms this will ensure a smooth experience for customers looking to buy, sell or re-mortgage their property.

This latest announcement demonstrates that protecting leaseholders in buildings with fire safety defects from unfair costs remains a Government priority.

The department has taken a number of steps to protect innocent leaseholders from remediation costs since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, introducing some of the toughest building safety regulations in the world through our landmark Building Safety Act.

The Act confirmed that those responsible for unsafe cladding, and not blameless leaseholders, will be the ones to pay to fix it.

Moreover, in October this year, the department announced that the Government has agreed a pledge with five-sector leading insurance brokers, which could lead to thousands of leaseholders in buildings with identified fire safety issues seeing a significant reduction in their insurance premiums.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, introduced to Parliament last month, will help us go even further to protect leaseholders by delivering the Government’s manifesto commitments on leasehold reform.

The Bill will include measures to amend the Building Safety Act 2022 to make it easier to ensure that those who caused building safety defects in enfranchised buildings are made to pay, and that the leaseholder protections are not unfairly weighted against those who own properties jointly.

Within this legislation, we will ban building insurance commissions for freeholders and managing agents and replace these with transparent handling fees to stop leaseholders being charged excessive and opaque commissions.

The Government is also already consulting on options to cap ground rents for existing leases that will protect leaseholders from facing unregulated ground rents for no service in return. The consultation closes on 21 December and the Government will respond shortly afterwards.

Notes to editors

• Subject to their normal policy requirements, lenders will consider mortgage applications on properties in buildings in England of 11 metres or five storeys and above in height with building safety issues. There is no requirement for a building to have been remediated, providing it is being self-remediated by developers, is covered by a recognised government scheme, or the property is protected by the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act, as evidenced by a leaseholder deed of certificate.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 18 December 2023.

Long-Term Plan for Towns: guidance for local authorities and Town Boards.

Major boost for British towns with next steps for long-term plans

The Government is today publishing guidance and setting out initial funding to enable 55 British towns to develop their long-term plan.

This follows the Prime Minister announcing the 55 towns that will receive funding and support totalling up to £20 million, as part of a £1.1 billion levelling up investment for towns that have been overlooked for too long.

The Long-Term Plan for Towns will ensure that local people can develop plans that deliver the priorities of their community and are given the tools to change their town’s long-term future.

This new published guidance sets out that the 55 towns will:

• Receive up to £20 million of endowment-style funding and support for local people’s priorities, like regenerating local high streets and town centres or securing public safety;
• Set up a Town Board by 1 April 2024 to bring together community leaders, employers, local authorities, and the local MP, to develop and deliver the Long-Term Plan for their town and put it to local people for consultation; and
• Use a suite of regeneration powers and interventions to boost pride in place to unlock private sector investment, by auctioning empty high street shops, create and maintain parks and green spaces, and improve heritage sites.

The Government has also confirmed £13.75 million of capacity funding for each benefiting local authority to receive £50,000 to support the appointment of an independent chair for the Town Board who will begin community engagement. This will be followed by a further £200,000 once Boards are in place.

Under this guidance, towns will need to develop and submit their plan by 1 August at the latest, to start making investments.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

 We’re giving under invested towns the much-needed funding and support to get going on their long-term plans.

Our £1.1 billion long term plan for towns will make sure communities can take control of their future and invest in local priorities.

The new guidance confirms Town Boards should be led by an independent chair, who will act as a champion for the town. The chair can be anyone who holds a prominent role in the community such as heads of charities, education establishments or football clubs and will provide leadership to ensure towns boards are community-led and embedded within the local area.

The Town Board must include the relevant local MP, alongside a senior representative from the police. Other members can be drawn from respected local figures with an obvious passion for their area, including community partners, local businesses and cultural, arts, heritage and sporting organisations.

This guidance applies to towns across Great Britain and we will release dedicated Scottish and Welsh versions of the policy powers toolkit early in 2024. In Northern Ireland, we look forward to working with a restored Executive to determine the approach to providing support there.

The Long-Term Plan for Towns is one part of the government’s wide ranging levelling up programme, and designed to complement other types of funding. In total we have invested more than £13 billion from our levelling up funds to support projects that are improving everyday life for people across the UK.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 18 December 2023.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove sets out £64 billion funding package for councils to deliver vital services

A funding package worth over £64 billion to support councils in England to deliver frontline services has been announced today (Monday 18th December) by the Levelling Up Secretary.

The provisional local government finance settlement makes available almost £4 billion more funding for councils in England in 2024-25, an increase of 6.5% on 2023-24 – an above inflation rise in recognition of the pressures being faced by local authorities.

The Funding Guarantee introduced last year will be maintained to ensure every council in England sees at least a 3% increase in Core Spending Power before any local decisions are made around council tax. This decision has been taken in recognition of the pressures being faced by local authorities despite the recent drop in inflation.

And to continue to support councils providing essential adult and children’s social care services, we are making available £1 billion in additional grant funding for social care in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24.

Councils will be able to increase council tax by up to 3% without a local referendum with a further 2% for those responsible for adult social care services, with additional flexibilities for some authorities. It is for councils to determine council tax levels, but they should always be mindful of cost-of-living pressures when making any decisions.

The government has already been clear it does not support any attempt from a local authority to implement Part-Time Work for Full-Time pay – the so-called ‘four-day week’ or equivalent arrangements. South Cambridgeshire District Council was issued with a Best Value Notice on November 3, after repeated requests for the authority to end its trial, as a result of concerns the practice could impact on its Best Value Duty.

The government is now inviting views on proposals to use financial levers within future settlements occurring after 2024-25 to stop this practice.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

Councils are the backbone of their communities and carry out tremendous work every day in delivering vital services to the people they serve.

We recognise they are facing challenges and that is why we have announced a £64 billion funding package to ensure they can continue making a difference, including through our combined efforts to level up.

Minister for Local Government Simon Hoare said:

It is good news for our local government sector that we are presenting an above-inflation increase in funding.

We are, and will, continue to work alongside councils to ensure quality and reliable services are provided to those who need and use them, while also keeping a weather eye on ensuring value for the taxpayer.

The provisional local government finance settlement includes:

• A substantial total funding package for councils worth more than £64.1 billion for the next financial year – an increase of £3.9 billion or 6.5% in Core Spending Power compared 2023-2024.
• The most relatively deprived areas of England will receive 18% more per dwelling in available resource through this settlement than the least deprived areas.
• A real-terms funding boost across England. Local government has seen a real terms increase in the funding available through local government finance settlements over the period since 2019.
• Support for social care. We are providing £1 billion in additional grant funding for social care compared to 2023-2024.
• An extension to the Funding Guarantee to ensure every council sees at least a 3% increase in Core Spending Power before any council tax decisions locally.
• Stability for councils by maintaining our approach to other grants, such as continuing to increase the Revenue Support Grant in line with the Consumer Price Index.
• The consultation on the provisional settlement will be open for 4 weeks, closing on 15 January 2024.

The government will provide confirmation of the final local government finance settlement once the consultation has closed and all responses have been considered in early 2024.

This provisional settlement follows the decision at Autumn Statement that the Local Housing Allowance will be uprated to cover the 30th percentile from Spring next year, and the announcement that there will be a Round 3 of the Local Authority Housing Fund, worth £450 million, to help support pressures from temporary accommodation and Afghan resettlement arrivals.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 12 December 2023.

Third round of £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 is now open to councils to deliver thousands of new homes and jobs.

Thousands of new homes will be delivered on council-owned brownfield sites through up to £80 million to transform neglected land into beautiful and thriving communities.

From today, councils across England will be able to bid for a share of the final round of the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2.

The latest round will release land for over 8,000 new homes by March 2028 – creating thousands of construction jobs and transforming underused sites into places where people want to live and work, while protecting cherished green spaces.

Minister for Housing Lee Rowley said:

“We want to build the new homes people need and brownfield land is crucial to delivering the Long-Term Plan for Housing, as part our of mission to level up the country.

“This fund will transform unloved and unused brownfield sites into thriving new communities, helping more young families on to the property ladder and creating thousands of jobs.

“This is a game changer for councils and I strongly encourage them to apply and reap the benefits in their local areas.”

The fund is part of the government’s long-term plan for housing which prioritises brownfield land for new homes and has us on track to deliver our manifesto commitment of 1 million homes over this Parliament.

This is part of the £10 billion we have announced over this Parliament to invest in projects that will boost housing supply.

Cabinet Officer Minister Alex Burghart said:

“This funding will help unlock much-needed redevelopment of unloved, previously derelict brownfield sites: stimulating growth, investment, and job opportunities.

“It’s fantastic news for business, and even better news for local people who will now see new family homes in their communities.”

Chair of the Local Government Association Shaun Davies said:

“Following the success of the first two rounds of BLRF2 funding, I am pleased the LGA continues its partnership with DLUHC and Cabinet Office helping councils to access the latest round of this fund, which provides much needed capital grants to bring surplus council-owned sites forward for housing.

“The One Public Estate programme has helped to shape this latest funding offer to ensure it can help as many councils as possible bring forward viable housing schemes on their land. I would urge councils to consider how this third round of BLRF2 can help them address local housing needs, and support placemaking and regeneration ambitions.”

The £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 was launched in July 2022 and is designed to help to bring neglected urban areas back into use, support regeneration projects and boost local economies.

The previous round of funding has supported projects in areas including Bognor Regis, Rochdale and Somerset, helping to unlock new homes, as well as supported accommodation for homeless people.

The full brownfield fund is due to deliver over 17,600 new homes and 56,000 skilled new jobs over the next four years, helping to level up communities across the country.

There have been two rounds of funding allocations already announced in November 2022 and October 2023 and to date, the fund is supporting 89 local authorities, over 160 projects, and has provided over £100 million to support councils to release land for almost 8,600 homes.

A brownfield-first approach is at the heart of the government’s planning reforms through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, which is now law.

Further information:

• The final round of Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 funding is being made available to local authorities across England who will be able to bid for a share of up to £80 million. The application window will be open until 14th February 2024 with successful projects expected to be announced in Summer 2024.
• The funding awarded to local authorities is used for land remediation and small-scale infrastructure work to make surplus local authority owned brownfield sites ready for housing that would otherwise remain derelict and a blight on local communities.
• The Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 continues to be delivered by One Public Estate – a partnership between the Office for Government Property and the Local Government Association – on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
• Find out more about BLRF2 and how to apply here.

Case studies of recipients of BLRF2 funding:

• Bognor Regis (Arun District Council) – £628,000 will unlock an £8 million scheme to rejuvenate a listed town centre building, delivering 35 new homes and improved retail space to support local regeneration.
• Rochdale – c.£271,000 funding will unlock delivery of 14 purpose-built homeless and support accommodation units on a former car park and garage site.
• Somerset - c.£213,000 to demolish existing rundown garages and deliver 11 low-carbon one, two and three bedroom affordable homes subject to securing planning permission.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 8 December 2023.

Text of Letter (in .pdf format)