Northumberland County Council has been successful in securing over £6 million of government funding to help develop affordable housing on brownfield sites. 

The authority bid for the funding to help develop five housing schemes in the county and this week it received confirmation that it had been successful in securing a healthy £6,075 million. This was over 25% of the funding pot available for the North East Combined Authority region. 

The money came from the Brownfield Housing Fund - a government fund designed to help deliver more affordable homes on brownfield land.  While brownfield land can be cheaper to develop, in other cases, work such as demolition of old buildings, or land remediation work can make it extremely expensive to bring it back into productive use.   

The funding will be used by the council and its housing partners to deliver affordable housing on old or redundant sites in Ashington, Cramlington, Blyth, Stobswood and Bedlington. 
 

The schemes are currently being worked up and if planning permission is granted, they would bring a further 127 affordable homes to the county
and provide more housing choice for local residents. 
 

Northumberland County Councillor Colin Horncastle, cabinet member with responsibility for housing said: 

“Providing more quality, affordable and market homes across the county in areas of identified housing need, continues to be one of the county council’s top priorities. 
 

“Between 2017 and the end of 2025, more than 3,000 affordable homes to rent or buy are projected to be completed in communities right across the county. This is having a significant impact on the lives of so many people who now have a home at a price they can afford. 

“We’re delivering pockets of affordable housing where it is needed most - from as far north as Berwick down to Blyth in the south and the rural communities in between - but always guided by our communities to achieve the right type of housing, in the right place at the right price.” 

“Northumberland is a stunning county so we want to protect our green belt as much as we possibly can. We are delighted to have secured external investment on this scale. While the council has committed over £48 million to provide more affordable housing, this is a significant funding boost which will help us in our quest.”