{"id":54673,"date":"2015-03-04T09:33:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-04T09:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=560901a42773ace530c96a0a9890541d"},"modified":"2015-03-04T09:33:00","modified_gmt":"2015-03-04T09:33:00","slug":"press-release-unused-public-sector-land-will-provide-over-100000-new-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=54673","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Unused public sector land will provide over 100,000 new homes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Enough unused public sector land has been released to build over 103,000 new homes, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced today (4 March 2015).<\/p>\n

The amount of land sold by the government surpasses the original commitment set by the Prime Minister, and is expected to rise again by the end of March this year.<\/p>\n

Now, the government is calling on councils and developers to help turn it into housing as soon as possible, and is urging local authorities up and down the country to follow this example and sell their redundant sites and buildings.<\/p>\n

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said:<\/p>\n

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House building is at the heart of the government\u2019s long-term economic plan. That\u2019s why, rather than leaving surplus public sector land idle, we are putting it to good use by releasing it to build new homes across the country.<\/p>\n

This is part of wider efforts that have got Britain building again, leading to the delivery of 700,000 new homes since the end of 2009.<\/p>\n

I now want to see councils following Whitehall\u2019s example and explore what they can do to release land and deliver new homes and savings for local taxpayers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said:<\/p>\n

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Housing starts are at their highest annual total since 2007, but it\u2019s clear we need to maintain this momentum and build the homes communities want and need.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why for the last 4 years we\u2019ve pulled out all the stops to release formerly-used surplus public sector land for house building \u2013 meaning we have now exceeded our own target.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Getting the country building again<\/h2>\n

The amount of land sold by the government surpasses the original commitment set by the Prime Minister in June 2011, and is expected to rise again by the end of March this year. On top of this, there are plans to release land with capacity for 150,000 homes between 2015 and 2020.<\/p>\n

The government has already taken major steps to boost house building and get more people into a home of their own \u2013 simplifying the planning system, making it easier to convert empty buildings into new homes and prioritising development on brownfield land.<\/p>\n

And the results are clear \u2013 house building starts are now at their highest since 2007, empty homes are at their lowest level since records began and government backed schemes have helped nearly 192,000 people buy or reserve a property since 2010.<\/p>\n

The land released to date comprises of 899 sites across England, and includes:<\/p>\n