Housing Solicitors

The government has announced that Housing Zones around the country are to receive funding to kick-start work on building up to 34,000 new homes.

Nearly £6.3 million is being distributed to help revive brownfield sites across the country and deliver thousands of homes for families and first-time buyers.

The government announced Housing Zones in the Budget in March 2015, with local authorities receiving resource grants.

Up to 28 Housing Zones will deliver up to 45,000 homes for families and first-time buyers – and the first 19 Housing Zones share more than £6 million to deliver up to 34,000 homes, as part of the government’s ambition to deliver one million homes by 2020 and enable aspiring homeowners to get on the property ladder.

The government said that nearly £6.3 million would be distributed to help revive brownfield sites across the country – and the funding comes on top of the £1.2 billion Starter Home Fund designed to prepare brownfield sites for at least 30,000 new homes, which will be used to speed up work, enabling homes to be delivered quickly.

The 19 local authorities chosen will receive a total of £5,553,732 in resource grants – the remaining £740,000 from the £6.3m fund will be used to provide specialist technical support to the Housing Zones.

The announcement comes as the government presses ahead with its landmark Housing and Planning Bill, to give aspiring homeowners the security of home ownership and build more homes across the country.

Measures in the Bill include new affordable Starter Homes and a new legal duty will be placed on councils to guarantee the delivery of Starter Homes on all reasonably sized new development sites – and to promote the delivery of Starter Homes in their area.

The Bill will also allow permission in principle for sites identified in plans and brownfield registers, to give certainty around the sites that are suitable for housing, while protecting the green belt.

Planning reforms will also support small builders, requiring councils to ensure they have shovel-ready plots to match local demand for custom builds.

Duncan Lewis Housing Solicitors

Duncan Lewis housing solicitors can advise on all property and housing matters, including planning consents and appeals and buy-to-let.

Duncan Lewis also offers competitively-priced conveyancing services to homebuyers, including guiding first-time buyers through the conveyancing process.

The Duncan Lewis housing department is also able to advise landlords and public sector or private sector tenants on a wide range of housing matters – including right to rent checks, landlord’s obligations under the Housing Act, disrepair of rented accommodation, Landlord and Tenant disputes, tenancy agreements and unlawful eviction.

For expert legal advice on property and housing law, call Duncan Lewis housing solicitors on 0333 772 0409.