Programme to kickstart housebuilding expands to smaller sites

The Government’s New Homes Accelerator (NHA) is extending to smaller sites of under 500 homes for Phase 2. The Housing Secretary is calling on developers, landowners and councils to come forward with further sites that need government support through the New Homes Accelerator to get moving.

The NHA programme uses planning, infrastructure and regulatory experts to work on specific issues impacting and delaying housebuilding on sites.

Phase 1 of the Accelerator is reported to have helped progress over 48,500 homes and unlock issues at a further 76,500 homes.

Phase 2 will see seven new sites joining the programme, adding over 11,400 homes across priority growth areas, including several in the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor.

Sites include:

• Land West of Howes Lane, north west Bicester
• Himley Village, north west Bicester
• Hawkwell Village, north west Bicester
• Wretchwick Green, south east Bicester
• Stewartby Brickworks, Bedfordshire

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “The number of families and young people locked out of the dream of home ownership is unacceptable, so we are doing everything we can to make that dream come true.

“We’re stripping away the barriers blocking new homes being built and our New Homes Accelerator means 125,000 will now go ahead. But we’re just getting started.

“This next phase will see spades in the ground even faster as we build the 1.5 million homes this country needs.”

As part of Phase 2, operations will be expanded in London through the launch of ‘NHA LDN’ and a new planning support service for boroughs, ‘ATLAS LDN’, which will both be led by the Greater London Authority (GLA) on behalf of the Mayor of London.

This second phase of the programme is ensuring that developers, housing associations, and boroughs have access to coordinated government-backed support designed to overcome some of the biggest barriers to delivery – from planning and infrastructure delays to regulatory challenges.

The GLA will bring together developers, London boroughs and the wider GLA family – including Transport for London – to get sites moving.

Three stalled housing sites in London are already being supported by the NHA programme.

Working alongside government and Homes England, these services will target London sites facing significant delays – with the aim of delivering new homes by the end of this parliament.

Homes England chief executive Amy Rees CB said: “As the government expands the NHA, we continue to provide our expertise and resources, working hard with partners across the country to accelerate key sites with the potential to deliver thousands of new homes for people throughout England.

“Collaboration is central to what we do, and we encourage both new and longstanding delivery partners to work with us to unlock further sites, as together we support the government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes during this parliament.”

Also launching today is a new year-round portal that will make it easier for builders, councils, and landowners to flag sites – whether stuck in planning or simply not moving fast enough.