Homes England launched

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid has launched a new agency aimed at boosting housebuilding.

The new national housing agency – Homes England – is billed as one of the key steps in tackling the housing crisis and delivering the homes the country needs.

The new agency succeeds the Homes and Communities Agency, and has been developed to drive forward change, as set out in the government’s housing white paper.

Homes England will bring together planning expertise with new land buying powers, allowing it to play a major role in securing land in areas where people want to live, as well as supporting smaller and more innovative house builders into the market, and resourcing brownfield sites from across the country to deliver homes for families.

The new agency is expected to assist in the delivery of some 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid launched the new agency during a tour of a new housing development in Alconbury in Cambridgeshire, where a former airfield is being redeveloped to provide 5,000 new homes, the Housing Secretary toured the 1,420 acre site which is just one of the many locations across the country receiving government funding to build more homes.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This government is determined to build the homes our country needs and help more people get on the housing ladder. Homes England will be at the heart of leading this effort.

“The development at Alconbury is a prime example of how the agency has worked to deliver thousands of new homes, as well as improve roads and create space for local businesses.

“The new agency will be key in replicating this approach right across the country and will help us build a Britain fit for the future.”

Nick Walkley, Chief Executive of Homes England, said: “As Homes England, we will use our land, finance and expertise to expand the delivery of affordable new homes and connect ambitious partners to remove barriers to house building.”

Sir Ed Lister, Chairman of Homes England, added: “We will take the lead in delivering better quality homes and great places that set the bar high for others. We will also stimulate demand for Modern Methods of Construction and ultimately disrupt the housing market.”

Homes England has already been supporting developments across the country including 10,000 new homes on a brownfield site northwest of Cambridge and a 3,200 new homes site in South Yorkshire.

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