East Lancashire MP, Sir Jake Berry, has put forth a compelling plea to Blackburn with Darwen and Rossendale Councils in a bid to tackle the housing crisis and preserve the green belt areas. Following in the footsteps of Burnley Council’s successful venture, Sir Jake is urging the local councils to seize the opportunity presented by the Brownfield Land Release Fund. This initiative, launched in July 2022, has a lofty ambition of transforming underutilised brownfield sites into viable housing ventures.

The compelling call by the MP comes after Burnley Council was granted £416,312 in the previous round of funding, which was channelled towards the successful conversion of a heritage-listed former office building on Nicholas Street into residential flats. This move not only alleviated the housing shortfall in Burnley but also showcased the potential dormant in brownfield sites awaiting redevelopment.

The Brownfield Land Release Fund, endowed with up to £180 million in capital, aims at unlocking local authority owned brownfield land for housing projects, steering development away from untouched greenfield sites. The ambitious target set by the fund is to facilitate the construction of 17,600 homes by March 2028. Besides bridging the housing gap, this initiative is projected to support up to 54,000 jobs across the housing and construction sectors in the UK, thereby significantly contributing to the local economy.

Sir Jake Berry emphasises the essence of this fund in averting the risk posed to green belt lands across Rossendale and Darwen, which are under threat from potential development projects. He envisions the grants from this fund being utilised for land remediation and small-scale infrastructure work, essential steps towards making brownfield lands ready for housing projects. This, in turn, could stem the tide of derelict sites blighting local communities.

A report from the Campaign to Protect Rural England accentuates the potential harboured by brownfield sites, suggesting that they could accommodate up to 1.2 million new homes nationwide. In a similar vein, the National Housing Federation points out the pressing need to construct 340,000 new homes annually to meet the soaring demand, indicating that the brownfield land could be fully utilised within four years if these targets are met.

The clarion call by Sir Jake is for both Rossendale Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council to proactively apply in the upcoming third round of the Brownfield Land Release Fund, slated to open in December. With £80 million still up for grabs in the next allocation, this presents a golden opportunity for Lancashire to take a significant stride towards addressing the housing crisis, while fostering community revitalisation and local employment.

As Lancashire teeters on the cusp of this major development opportunity, the decisive action by local councils in the coming months could herald a new dawn in the region’s housing landscape, marking a significant stride towards sustainable development and urban regeneration.