Mayor unveils 15,000-home delivery plan

A new strategy aimed at tackling the housing crisis and accelerating housebuilding across the North East has been approved by mayor Kim McGuinness.

The mayor’s Plan for Homes sets out a ten-year programme to deliver more than 15,000 social and affordable homes while unlocking sites that have remained undeveloped because of funding, infrastructure and viability challenges.

Approved by the North East Mayoral Combined Authority Cabinet, the strategy is designed to support the delivery of high-quality, energy-efficient homes, alongside wider regeneration and investment across the region.

Mayor McGuinness said: “Families are stuck on waiting lists, young people are priced out of the places they grew up in, and too many households are spending more and more of their income simply keeping a roof over their heads. 

“Today, that changes.

"A safe, secure and affordable home should be within reach for everyone, and my Plan for Homes is how we’ll make that happen. 

“We’re sorting out the housing crisis by delivering more social and affordable homes, getting cracking with stalled developments and working region-wide to tackle homelessness.”

The plan builds on progress made through the mayor’s Brownfield Housing Fund, which has already helped unlock developments in Blyth, Newbiggin Hall and Whitley Bay.

Backed by £143 million from the National Housing Delivery Fund, the programme aims to unlock 4600 homes by 2030, including 2900 by March 2029 and a further 1700 during 2029/30.

Funding will be used to address barriers that have prevented housing schemes from progressing, including abnormal development costs, infrastructure constraints, land remediation and viability issues.

The Mayoral Combined Authority will work alongside the region’s seven local authorities, Homes England, housing providers and developers to strengthen the pipeline of housing projects and accelerate delivery.

John Johnston, chair of the North East Housing Partnership, added: “We welcome the mayor’s Plan for Homes and the ambition she has set out for the region. 

“As a partnership, we understand the importance of a safe, secure and affordable home and the difference it can make to people’s lives, as well as the role housing can play in supporting economic growth. 

“The plan not only sets out the scale of the challenges we face as a region but also offers a range of solutions including investment in brownfield regeneration, shaping the funding for social and affordable homes and delivering investment in construction skills.  

“We are looking forward to working closely with the mayor, local authorities, Homes England and partners to deliver against the plan and ensure housing supports thriving, sustainable communities across our region.”

The strategy comes as households across the North East continue to face rising housing costs and increasing difficulty accessing affordable homes, with the mayor positioning the plan as a long-term response to improving housing supply and supporting sustainable economic growth across the region.

More information on the mayor’s Plan for Homes can be viewed here.

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.