Government launches a £54 million package to transform local communities.

Announcement published 1st August 2017 on GOV.UK website headlines ‘Funding boost for local authorities to transform local communities.’

The government has launched a £54 million package to transform local communities and release land for thousands of new homes.

The package comes as part of a new cross-government partnership to make smarter use of government-owned property.

DCLG’s £45 million ‘Land Release Fund’, launched in partnership with the Cabinet Office and Local Government Association’s One Public Estate programme, will ensure local councils release some of their unused or surplus land for housing. This will help to meet the ambition to unlock enough council-owned land for at least 160,000 homes by 2020.

Councils can now bid for funding for land remediation and small-scale infrastructure, which will help bring sites forward for housing that would not have otherwise been developed.

Alongside this, One Public Estate is making £9 million funding available to support more councils to deliver ambitious property-focused programmes.

Read the announcement in full click here.

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Social Housing 2019
Breaking News

London defies Build to Rent slowdown

The latest analysis by Foxtons shows that whilst the wider Build to Rent (BTR) sector is running low on steam when it comes to the delivery of new schemes, London is continuing to push forward, with the number of BTR schemes in planning up by 8.5% year on year. Foxtons analysed the latest BTR planning…
Read More
Breaking News

Disappointing year for UK construction gives way to industry-wide recovery

Despite 2025 downturn, Glenigan predicts a ‘phoenix moment’ for UK construction in 2026 8% decline in detailed planning approvals year-on-year 11% decline in main contract awards year-on-year 20% decline in project starts against the preceding year-on-year Today, Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight and intelligence experts, releases the January edition of its Construction…
Read More
Breaking News

Agents report early uplift in buyer activity

Agents report early uplift in buyer activity, but few are investing to capitalise on improving market conditions The latest research from Property DriveBuy has found that estate agents are starting 2026 on a stronger footing, with the majority reporting an increase in buyer enquiries and viewing requests, while one in five are also seeing more…
Read More
Breaking News

Smaller deposits and higher LTVs mortgages drive FTB activity

Gen Z optimistic about homeownership in 2026 amid rising demand for cheaper homes, smaller deposits and higher LTVs Barclays data reveals that 22 per cent of first-time buyers purchased homes with deposits under £20,000 in December, up 8 percentage points year-on-year 44 per cent of first-time buyers opted for 85-90 per cent LTV mortgages in…
Read More
Breaking News

Improved affordability provides boost to first-time buyers

Nationwide Housing Affordability Report Continued improvement in affordability helped support first-time buyer activity over 2025 Considerable variation in affordability remains across occupational groups, with affordability most challenging for people working in sales & customer service, but easier for those in managerial and professional roles Affordability most stretched in London and South of England, while North…
Read More
Breaking News

UK rents fall for first time on record

Hamptons Monthly Lettings Index – December 2025 Rents end 2025 below where they started for the first timeon record. Rents in the capital return to 2023 levels as five of 11 GB regions see rents fall in 2025 Newly agreed rents dipped by 0.7% across Great Britain in 2025 – the first time rents fell…
Read More