Housing Minister John Healey has outlined how the power of Government investment has helped keep Britain building in the teeth of recession, safeguarding jobs and delivering the new homes the country needs.

Mr Healey announced a total of £263 million additional funding for new affordable homes and to kickstart stalled developments, and announced that three new publicly-owned sites are to be made available for housebuilding under the Public Land Initiative.

He also confirmed every one of the 141 stalled housebuilding sites in the first round of the Government’s Kickstart funding have workers back on site building over 10,000 new homes.

Since June, he has given the go-ahead for £4.2billion Government investment for councils, housing associations and private developers to build over 75,000 much-needed new homes across the country.


Every region has benefited from this Government cash boost for housing during the recession.

Mr Healey said: "From Barnsley to Brighton, the power of Government investment has meant that in the teeth of recession, we have kept Britain building. That's why today I can confirm I’ve given the go-ahead for £263million to create and safeguard 5,500 jobs, build much-needed new homes and help strengthen the economic recovery.

"We've been ready to take unprecedented Government steps to help the country through the recession and today's extra funding takes total Government housing cash to £4.2billion since June. This investment will now help economic recovery in every region of the country.

"This public investment has been a vital boost to jobs and housebuilding during the recession, and it's equally important to economic growth in the future. We can't cut our way into economic recovery over the coming year - we must invest in building the new homes that people need."

Through the £4.2billion funding boost Mr Healey has launched the biggest council house building programme for nearly two decades, given cash to kickstart work on 252 private sites and introduced a new deal for developers to build on public land.

Mr Healey has also given the go-ahead for £27.5m Government funding to be made available to 24 stalled housing developments through the second round of the Kickstart programme, to get building work back on track and workers back on site.

(CD/GK)