Garden communities set to flourish across England

£15 million funding to support delivery of thousands of new homes in beautiful, green garden communities across England

Part of a £69 million programme to deliver up to 16,000 homes per year from 2025, creating almost 200,000 jobs and boosting the economy

Builds on the government’s plans to level up the country, regenerate underused land and bring forward beautiful new developments

Thousands of new homes and jobs will be created in beautiful, green neighbourhoods across England, supported by £15 million government funding for garden communities, Housing Minister Stuart Andrew MP announced today (Saturday 21 May 2022).

From Cornwall to Carlisle, the Garden Communities programme will deliver up to 16,000 homes per year from 2025, driving growth across England, breathing life into 43 towns and villages and putting green, wildlife friendly spaces at the heart of new development.

New funding will regenerate:

Long Marston in Warwickshire, formerly a disused airfield that is now a vibrant, green neighbourhood will see 3,500 new homes being built, with a requirement for 35% affordable housing.

Halsnead Garden Village in Knowsley will deliver 1,619 new homes in Merseyside along with 22.5 hectares of land for new businesses. A country park will accompany wetlands and restored wildflower meadows to improve biodiversity.

West Carclaze Garden Village will support the delivery of up to 1,500 new homes, in an innovative, sustainable new community that promotes the health and wellbeing of its residents.

Today’s move builds on the landmark reforms in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill introduced to Parliament last week, which set out how the government will spread opportunity and prosperity to every corner of the country. The Bill empowers local leaders to revitalise their town centres, taking control of empty shops and sparking an al fresco dining revolution.

Housing Minister Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP said:

Building beautiful new homes in the places they are most needed lies at the heart of the government’s levelling up mission.

Garden villages and towns are perfect examples of the vibrant, green communities we want to see right across the country and today’s funding will allow us to work hand-in-hand with local leaders and industry to deliver the high-quality new homes that we need.

Today’s investment brings total funding for the Garden Communities programme to more than £69 million, helping level up the country and regenerate communities, with most of the new homes situated in the North, Midlands and South West.

It will also support nearly 200,000 jobs in the schools, shops and offices developed within each garden community, part of the government’s drive to help people secure good jobs where they live, grow the economy and tackle the cost of living.

The programme provides support to progress long-term housing projects from their earliest stages. It enables local authorities to recruit specialist staff, undertake the required planning and receive advice and support from the housing delivery body, Homes England.

The announcement builds on plans in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to put beauty and nature at the heart of new development design, with the introduction of mandatory design codes, which will make sure developers respect styles drawn up and favoured locally - from the layout or materials used, to how it provides green space.

This funding is in addition to the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund, helping SME builders and to deliver over 42,000 new homes in England.

Further information

The Garden Communities programme supports house building in 43 towns and villages from Cornwall to Carlisle and will deliver over 300,000 homes, up to 90,000 of which will be affordable.

List of areas allocated funding

Garden Towns

Hemel, Hertfordshire

Otterpool Park, Folkestone and Hythe

Manydown, Basingstoke

Harlow & Gilston, Essex and Hertfordshire

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

Taunton, Somerset

St Cuthbert’s, Carlisle

Greater Exeter, Devon

Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire

North Northants, Northamptonshire

Garden Villages

Longcross, Runnymede, Surrey

Newton Abbot, Teignbridge

Langarth, Cornwall

Burtree, Darlington

Chelmsford, Essex

Dunton Hills, Brentwood

Golden Valley, Cheltenham

South Ashford, Ashford

Tendring - Colchester borders

Skerningham, Darlington

Long Marston, Stratford-on-Avon

East of Biggleswade, Central Bedfordshire

North Dorchester, Dorset

South Seaham, Durham

Whetstone Pastures, Blaby

Uttlesford Park, Uttlesford

West Carclaze, Cornwall

Culm, Mid Devon

Halsnead, Knowsley

West of Elvington, York

Dunsfold Park, Waverley

Welbourne, Fareham

Meecebrook, Stafford

Dalton Barracks, South Oxfordshire

Salt Cross, West Oxfordshire

Infinity, South Derbyshire

Berinsfield, South Oxfordshire

Borough Green Gardens, Tonbridge and Malling

Bailrigg, Lancaster

Spitalgate Heath, South Kevesten

Tresham, East Northamptonshire

Pan-Essex

Office address and general enquiries

2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

Email

General enquiries: please use this number if you are a member of the public 030 3444 0000

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@levellingup.gov.uk

Please use this number if you are a journalist wishing to speak to Press Office 0303 444 1209

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