Thousands of new homes to be built, government says 

The UK Government has announced a significant investment aimed at tackling the housing crisis, with £68 million dedicated to transforming brownfield land into thousands of new homes. This funding, revealed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will be distributed to 54 councils across England. 

The funds will be allocated through the Brownfield Land Release Fund – which is expected to unlock land for around 5,200 new homes, supporting the government's goal to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the parliamentary term.  

Industry response: RTPI welcomes investment but urges caution  

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) welcomed the government’s focus on brownfield development, but warned against an exclusive focus on residential projects, noting that prioritising housing alone could displace essential commercial, industrial, and logistics spaces needed to support local economies.  

RTPI Chief Executive Victoria Hills emphasised the need for careful planning to ensure high-quality developments that contribute to sustainable, mixed-use communities.   

The Institute suggested that updating and expanding local authorities' brownfield land registers could accelerate the development pipeline while supporting more informed planning decisions. The goal is to not only boost housing supply but also ensure that new developments integrate well with existing urban areas.  

Looking ahead  

As the industry digests this latest funding announcement, there is an ongoing dialogue about how to make brownfield development more effective. Ensuring that planning reforms, such as updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), support diverse land uses and high-quality design will be crucial. Brownfield passports, an initiative aimed at fast-tracking projects that meet design and quality standards, may also play a role in streamlining approvals going forward. 

As highlighted by industry experts in our Market Index Report¹ and at UK Construction Week in Birmigham this year², there are still questions surrounding low build-out rates for approved housing projects. Do the government’s planning reforms go far enough to address these issues? Although the brownfield-first strategy aims to streamline the process, some in the industry have called for more comprehensive reforms to ensure that once land is unlocked, it can be developed efficiently and meet the actual needs of local populations.  

Are you a developer seeking land or a local authority assessing your sites? 

For those looking to navigate the complexities of brownfield development, TerraQuest offers a range of services, including a land finding and acquisitions service for developers, as well as supporting councils to assess their own land. Our expertise helps ensure compliance with planning regulations, providing the tools needed to unlock challenging sites and contribute to sustainable growth across the UK.  

To learn more about how we can support your land requirements, visit our website³.  

Guidance published around the removal of hope value for CPOs

Government have published a fact sheet outlining how the removal of ‘hope value’ for land purchased under compulsory purchase works. 

The detailed guidance offers a demystified explanation of ‘hope value’. Traditionally, when land has been subject to compulsory purchase, its open market value has been assessed to include a value attributed to the prospect of future planning permissions being granted there.  

Measures introduced in last year’s Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act saw powers given to allow acquiring authorities to request the removal of hope value if doing so can be seen as justifiably in the public interest. 

This power is intended for projects that provide affordable or public housing, as well as health or educational services, where not incurring additional fees for acquisition can be seen to be in the public interest.

The removal direction will need to be submitted as part of the Compulsory Purchase Order, along with evidence demonstrating there is ‘compelling’ reasons why the removal is justifiable in the public interest, detailed in an accompanying Statement of Commitments.  

The article includes a full list of bodies which will be eligible to request removal, including bodies such as Homes England and the Greater London Authority, as well as all Local Authorities.  

Once a CPO containing a removal request has been confirmed, it will mean that the assessments used to measure appropriate compensation for the land in question will assume that no planning permission would be granted there.   

You can read the full guidance on the government’s website.⁴  

Need support with a CPO or DCO? TerraQuest are here to help. 

As the founders of Land Referencing with over 50 years of experience, we’ve been the trusted partner behind some of the UK’s largest projects. Whether you're in the early planning stages or navigating post-submission, our experts can provide industry-leading support—from identifying and assessing land to securing survey access and serving notices. 

No matter where you are in your project journey, we’ve got you covered. Visit our website to learn more. ⁵

Plans submitted for new town in London

Plans have been submitted for a new town in East London on 443 acres of brownfield land - previously the site of Barking Power Station - with support from the London Mayor.  

According to an article on PBC today, the plans, submitted by Barking Riverside Ltd, include space for 20,000 new homes. 35% of the homes included in the project will be affordable.  

Sadiq Khan said: ‘Barking Riverside is a prime example of a new town in London, a pioneering partnership delivering thousands of new homes for Londoners. 

“It’s an inspiring model of how to fix our housing crisis, with new public transport connections, schools, green spaces and a town centre making this a blueprint for how the next generation of English new towns could work.’ 

You can read more on PBC today.⁶  

Risk report sheds light on homes being built and approved in flood risk areas

A report published on 10 October has found that development in flood areas continues despite warnings, due to pressure on local authorities and sustained housing demand. 

According to Localis, an examination of upcoming developments attributed to councils with the highest percentage of properties at risk of flooding, showed ‘7,116 new dwellings in the pipeline’. 

The report recommends that the Environment Secretary should give the Flood Resilience Taskforce the authority to create new flood defenses, review current schemes, and assess how flood resilience measures are integrated into the planning system.

It also calls for an increase in the Environment Agency’s capacity to ensure the maintenance of flood defence assets and enforce planning regulations.  

The chief executive of Localis has said that the government’s ambitious aims around housebuilding need to be accompanied by tighter measures around flood risk, a point which is particularly poignant in light of the high number of approvals in flood-risk areas.  

Visit Localis website for the full report.⁷ 

1. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/services/professional-portal/planning-portal-application-index
2. https://www.terraquest.co.uk/news-and-insights/what-we-learnt-from-industry-experts-at-uk-construction-week-2024
3. https://www.terraquest.co.uk/products-services/land-finding-services
4. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/compulsory-purchase-compensation-power-to-remove-hope-value
5. https://www.terraquest.co.uk/products-services/land-referencing
6. https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/planning-construction-news/plans-submitted-large-new-town-east-london/144611/
7. https://www.localis.org.uk/news/departments-must-join-forces-deliver-government-flood-risk-promises-localis-report-urges/