Budget: £500m Builders Finance Fund for small housing projects

Aaron Morby 11 years ago
Share

The Chancellor set out plans to give smaller house builders access to a £500m fund to stimulate small local projects.

The finance pot formed part of a set of measures that George Osborne claimed would support building of 200,000 new homes.

Until now Government guarantee schemes were limited to support for major infrastructure projects being developed by major house builders.

In 1988 two-thirds of all new homes were built by small and medium sized builders, but that figure now stands at less than a third.

The Builders Finance Fund hopes to galvanise local housing projects with  loans to smaller housing developers.

It estimated that the fund will unlock 15,000 housing units stalled due to difficulty in accessing finance.

He said that the Government would also back three vast housing schemes: a garden city at Ebbsfleet, and schemes at Barking and Brent Cross to help get Britain building again.

He reiterated plans to extend Help to Buy to 2020, supporting construction of an estimated 120,000 new homes.

Osborne said the second element of Help to Buy, the mortgage guarantee for buyers, will now run until 2016.

“Taken all together, the housing policies I announce today will support over 200,000 new homes for families. We’re getting Britain building.” said Osborne.

Trio of flagship housing schemes

The government will work with London’s Mayor to extend the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to Barking Riverside. Osborne said public investment would unlock construction of up to 11,000 new homes.

It will also work with the GLA and the London Borough of Barnet to look at proposals for the Brent Cross regeneration scheme, subject to value for money and affordability.

This scheme has the potential to deliver between 7,500 and 10,000 homes, up to 20,000 jobs and about £4.5bn of economic investment.

The Government will set up a dedicated urban development corporation to drive forward the creation of Ebbsfleet Garden City, with a £200m of infrastructure fund to kick start development.

This will represent the first new garden city since Welwyn Garden City in 1920.

Osborne said the government would also publish a prospectus by Easter, setting out how local authorities could develop their own, locally-led proposals for bringing forward new garden cities.

The Government will also create another £150m fund to kick start the regeneration of large social housing estates.

He also said the Government would consult on a new ‘Right to Build’ to give custom builders a right to buy a plot from councils.

Government will test the new model with a small number of councils.

A new £150m Serviced Plots loan fund will help provide up to 10,000 serviced plots for custom build.

Councils will need to work with contractors or builders to access the fund. The Government will also look to make the Help to Buy equity loan scheme available for custom build.

Latest news

Prep work starts for vast HS2 box slide under A46

Freyssinet designed system will push 14,500t box under Kenilworth Bypass
4 hours ago

Morgan Sindall wins Canary Wharf office-to-labs job

Construction to start this month on £65m conversion
6 hours ago

Resi developer Sheen Lane heading for administration

Richmond based firm has a turnover of £50m
12 hours ago

Building safety act adding six months to delivery times

New approval gateways slow student room development programmes
12 hours ago

Five contractors win £550m airfield framework deal

MAG picks team for Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports
12 hours ago

Galldris bounces back to strong profits

South east civils specialist gets trading margin up to 11%
12 hours ago

Management buyout at Midlands contractor

Family business GI Sykes sold to management
12 hours ago

Taylor Woodrow wins Wolverhampton city centre revamp

£19m contract will last two-and-a-half years
12 hours ago

Morgan Sindall contracts league champion for second year

Kier ranks second in closely contested race between majors
2 days ago

New Year layoffs as Scottish modular house builder collapses

East Ayrshire Connect Modular falls into administration
2 days ago

Thames Water bidders day for £2.2bn reservoir scheme

Tenders to be invited in October for new Abingdon reservoir in Oxfordshire
2 days ago

Buckingham Plant Hire quits heavy kit market

Firm to sell fleet and focus on lighter, sustainable plant
2 days ago

Clients ‘ignoring building safety’ reforms

Clients still subjecting contractors to aggressive and sub-economic pricing
1 day ago

Castleforge plans expansion after £100m data centre deal

Investor moves into booming data centre market
1 day ago

Construction output growth drops to six-month low

Subcontractor rates rise at fastest rate for 18 months
2 days ago

Suir Engineering swoops for Scottish M&E contractor

Irish M&E firm launches UK expansion with Taylor & Fraser acquisition
3 days ago

Aggregates supply firm files administration notice

Ashville Aggregates and Concrete operates across London and South East
2 days ago

Plans in for 44-storey Manchester resi tower

Developer Glenbrook to appoint contractor this year
3 days ago

Briggs & Forrester names new engineering services MD

Will Newman replaces Ian Lawrence who steps down after eight years
2 days ago

Morgan Sindall bags Salford Uni acoustics building

Planning submitted for Acoustics Building at Crescent Innovation area
3 days ago

Lambeth to release six sites for £250m homes plan

Call for development partner to deliver 450 mixed tenure homes
3 days ago

Adrian Speller joins brother as joint MD of Midlands builder

Speller Metcalfe boosts senior leadership team
3 days ago

Winner unveiled for £2.9bn aqueduct revamp

Construction costs for Haweswater Aqueduct rise to £2.9bn from £1.75bn
6 days ago

Fortem and Equans face fight for £3bn housing upkeep deal

Birmingham City Council aims to sign new 10-year deals for four regions
4 days ago

Lendlease strikes deal to sell UK construction arm for £35m

US private equity firm Atlas to finalise purchase deal by summer
1 week ago

Hercules to offload suction excavator arm

Fleet of 30 trucks generates around £5m revenue a year
3 days ago

Tarmac trials new technique to cut concrete road noise

Quieter trips for drivers and longer-lasting roads
4 days ago

HS2 set for “fundamental reset” to lower construction costs

New chief executive promises action after latest project update
1 week ago

Solar panel installer fined £120,000 after roof fall

Court hears how employee broke his leg in fall
1 week ago

Network Rail chief Andrew Haines knighted

Thin pickings for construction in this year's New Year Honours
1 week ago

Contractor services