Housing fund set to unlock stalled Tees Valley sites

A funding package expected to “make a real difference” has been approved to support the delivery of more than 1000 “much-needed” homes across the Tees Valley.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and cabinet members have unanimously backed a £33.3 million Brownfield Housing Fund, which is expected to help bring forward 1085 homes on previously developed land across the region.

The funding will be used for remediation and enabling works to unlock residential developments that might otherwise stall or remain undeveloped.

A prospectus and open call for sites will be launched later this month, inviting developers and landowners to submit expressions of interest.

Mayor Houchen said: “Having a decent home gives families security, helps people put down roots and creates the foundations for our people to build their lives here.

“This fund makes the most of brownfield land across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool to create the homes local people need, while protecting our green spaces.

“These are real developments that will help us meet demand and support jobs in construction.

“We’ve already seen what this funding can deliver, and we will help unlock even more sites to get more high-quality homes built across our region.”

Previous rounds of the Brownfield Housing Fund have supported the delivery of more than 1500 homes across 11 sites, including the Hillside Gardens development in Middlesbrough, Union Village in Gresham and the Hartlepool Waterfront scheme.

Matt Forrest, chair of the Tees Valley Housing Partnership, added: “Tees Valley’s brownfield sites have capacity for nearly 9000 new homes – we’re really excited by that potential.

“The main barrier to us building on these sites is financial viability. 

“We’re an area with low land and property values, and the cost of cleaning up brownfield sites can be very high. 

“This makes it very difficult for us to access funding to redevelop them.

“The Brownfield Housing Fund helps us plug financial gaps and makes it possible to regenerate some sites. 

“We’d love to see the Government devolve more funding to the Combined Authority so we can deliver more much-needed homes on brownfield.”

The Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has worked with Homes England and local authorities to identify suitable locations for future housing developments.

The investment supports the ambitions of the Tees Valley Local Growth Plan, which aims to accelerate housebuilding and regenerate key sites over the next decade.

A detailed business case setting out how the funding will be allocated is expected to be presented to Tees Valley leaders later this year.

Councillor Graham Harrison, TVCA cabinet member for energy infrastructure and housing and leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, added: “This is welcome funding that will make a real difference. 

“By helping bring challenging sites forward, we’re creating opportunities for new homes, new neighbourhoods and further investment in our towns.

“We all know there is strong demand for quality housing across our region and this funding will help ensure developments can move ahead where they might otherwise struggle to get off the ground. 

“It’s good news for Hartlepool and every part of the Tees Valley as we continue working together to support growth and give local people more choice over where they live.”

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