Shapps urges councils to release unused land for housebuilding

Ministers have called on councils to make their unused land available for development, after confirming that every central government department with significant landbanks will be required by this Autumn to publish its plans for releasing land for housebuilding.

The Public Expenditure Committee, a Cabinet committee chaired by Francis Maude, will examine each department’s plan to ensure “every possible site” is made available.

Property specialists from across government will also work with each department and challenge them to release as much land as they can for new homes, the Department for Communities and Local Government said.

The government said it would publish a new map later this year, showing land and buildings owned by public bodies in each area. It hopes that this will provide a boost to its proposed Community Right to Reclaim Land.

According to Housing Minister Grant Shapps, up to 100,000 new homes could be built on unused public sector land by 2015. He also claimed that such development could also support as many as 25,000 jobs.

The sites being made available include a 40-hectare former hospital site owned by the Homes and Communities Agency in Cholsey, Oxfordshire. This site is also being used as an early pilot for the government’s Build Now, Pay Later initiative, which sees housebuilders only pay for the land once work has started on the new homes.

Shapps said: "As one of the country's biggest landlords, the Government has a critical role to play in making sites available for developers so we can get the homes this country needs built.

"Over the coming months, property specialists will work to make sure no stone is left unturned and no site is left unused, and every department's plans will come under the close scrutiny of a Cabinet committee.”