Contracts for the first site to be unlocked through the £570 million Get Britain Building programme have been exchanged this week, marking a significant milestone in the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) plans to bring forward the delivery of more than 15,000 new homes around England by December 2014.

The first site is being delivered by developer Crest Nicholson on the south east outskirts of Ashford. At 168 ha, Cheeseman’s Green has been granted £2.3m of funding for the release of 100 new three- and four-bedroom family homes. This will form the first phase of the scheme, which has planning consent for a vibrant new community of over 1,000 new homes, alongside significant leisure and community facilities, including a primary school, healthcare facility, community centre, sports facilities and recreation areas.

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This site was commissioned by the HCA on the basis that the Get Britain Building Fund unlocks delivery on schemes which are of high importance to particular communities and can create wider local benefits. Under the Get Britain Building programme Crest Nicholson has been shortlisted for £25.2m of loan funding investment across eight sites in total, and, if the bids are successful, it is expected that over the next two years the funding for these sites will enable Crest Nicholson to bring forward nearly 900 additional new homes. Plus, by unlocking schemes in this way, Crest Nicholson anticipate that it will be able to release a further 5,838 homes in the future.

Stephen Stone, Chief Executive of Crest Nicholson, commented: "The construction sector is recognised as a real driver for recovery and growth, and continued investment in the industry is essential. With every £1 spent on building work estimated to generate £2.84 of wider economic activity, this funding allocation is not only great news in terms of the delivery of much needed new housing, but will also inject a welcome boost into local economies.

"Job creation is a key part of our business ethos, with apprentices making up almost 10% of our workforce, and with the Home Builders Federation stating that every home built creates 1.5 full-time jobs, plus up to four times that number in the supply chain, the value inherent in kick-starting the UK’s construction market should not be underestimated."

(CD/GK)