Two major regeneration projects that will see thousands of new homes built in the middle of Bristol will receive Government cash to speed up the process of getting them built.
The Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that work on a host of ‘new towns’ across the country will begin before the next election, to meet the demand for new homes and the Government’s promise to get 1.5 million new homes.
But while the idea for more than 100 new towns across England – each with the potential for more than 10,000 new homes – is at the top of the Government’s announcement, buried in the detail are two projects that Bristol City Council has already started work on – turning the old industrial area in St Jude’s into a regeneration project called Frome Gateway, and the regeneration of Bristol city centre, which will see department stores, hotels and shopping centres demolished and rebuilt into a new city centre where thousands of people will live.
Highlighting the Government’s “new homes accelerator” project, which aims to overcome problems holding up housing projects, the PM said: “We’ve already made progress in just seven months, unblocking 20,000 stuck homes. But there’s more to do. We’re urgently using all levers available to build the homes we need so more families can get on the housing ladder.
“We’re sweeping aside the blockers to get houses built, no longer accepting no as the default answer, and paving the way for the next generation of new towns.
“As part of the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era, our ambitious Plan for Change will transform the lives of working people, once again connecting the basic principle that if you work hard, you should get on,” he added.
Last month, the Prime Minister met the Malaysian prime minister and part of that visit saw the formal launch of a ‘new town’ called Brabazon, which is already being built on the site of the old Filton Airfield, and includes the much-delayed YTL Arena.
This announcement is much less headline-grabbing – essentially Bristol City Council bid for more money so it could spend it on boosting the number of people in their planning department working on major projects. This will speed up the process of dealing with applications for the city centre and Frome Gateway.
Local councils with projects that have been accepted on the Homes Accelerator scheme will get a share of £3 million.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: “While our vision for the next generation of new towns is setting the stage for a housebuilding revolution in the years to come, urgent action is needed now to build the homes and infrastructure that our local communities are crying out for.
“That’s why our new homes accelerator is working at pace to find solutions and remove blockages in the system, executing long-lasting solutions to get spades in the ground,” she added.
There are already a number of plans to build flats and student accommodation on several sites in St Jude’s, an area of Bristol to the south of the M32 as it enters the city centre.