A REVOLUTION is under way in housing and regeneration - and we're here to help. That's the message from David Curtis, executive director at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
“In a climate of rapid change, a big part of our role is to help the North East get the best from new policies, programmes and structures,” said David, who leads the agency’s work in the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber.
“New arrangements for housing, regeneration and planning, together with the Government’s commitment to localism and economic growth, create a range of opportunities for the region.”
Local Economic Partnerships, Enterprise Zones and the New Homes Bonus are emerging as key features of the new landscape, while nationally the HCA’s FirstBuy scheme could help 10,000 people on to the property ladder.
A new £100m scheme is set to bring empty homes back into use, and new HCA-led stewardship arrangements will help to bring former One North East assets forward to support economic growth.
In addition, the North East is set for a major share in the HCA’s new Affordable Homes Programme.
Unveiled in July, the programme could create up to 80,000 new affordable homes in England – with thousands of those in the North East.
The programme is a more flexible way of funding affordable housing, allowing providers to charge up to 80% of local market rent and thus generating extra revenue to meet local housing needs.
Homes will be delivered through existing housing providers as well as consortia that include local authorities.
The four-year initiative is set to bring £181m of investment into the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber area – meaning up to 8,000 new homes by 2015.
“This is a good outcome for the North East in a difficult financial climate,” said David Curtis. “With further new housing already in the pipeline from earlier funding rounds, this adds up to thousands of new affordable homes for the region’s cities, towns and villages.”
Meanwhile, a range of HCA-backed schemes are helping North East communities to achieve their ambitions.
Last month saw the people of Byker vote overwhelmingly in favour of plans for a community trust, which will put local people in control of long-term investment in the famous Tyneside estate.
Work is now well under way on the first new homes at Stockton’s Northshore, where new jobs, housing and leisure facilities are part of a long term regeneration strategy.
Meanwhile, new eco-homes are well advanced at Middlesbrough’s Middlehaven site, alongside the award-winning Middlesbrough College, high quality office buildings and Anish Kapoor’s Temenos sculpture.
HCA funding is helping to pave the way for a new business and residential quarter on Sunderland’s Vaux brewery site, while a £9.8m investment is creating the springboard for 1800 new homes in Newcastle’s Scotswood area.
And smaller communities from Esh Winning to Beadnell are feeling the benefit of carefully planned rural developments, with local people in areas like Wooler, Allendale and Holy Island taking the lead in meeting local needs through community trusts.
To find out more about the Homes and Communities Agency, visit www.homesandcommunities.co.uk