A new study calls for more public land to be used at lower cost for affordable housing and renewable energy projects. Unlocking Public Land for Housing Supply, published by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), also urges the Government to lift the veil of secrecy concerning some £10 billion worth of surplus public land.
The TCPA calls for the data on 4,500ha of surplus public land to be made publicly available for the first time. The report also recommends granting Ministers new powers to stop Whitehall selling off land to the highest bidder.
Gideon Amos, Chief Executive of the TCPA, and co-author of the report, said:
"Derelict hospital buildings or abandoned army barracks and other surplus Government-owned sites are listed in almost every community in Britain, but details on the sites, who they are sold to and at what price, remain restricted. This information should be in the public domain to ensure that the land is sold in the public interest.
"Too often publicly owned sites have been confirmed as surplus to requirements but remain vacant until marketed for the highest price, preventing housing associations and local authorities obtaining the sites on behalf of local people. It is time for an end to land dealing between public bodies and government departments behind closed doors."
The report, published with support from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, calls for the Housing and Planning Minister to be given new powers over public land sales, including a cross Whitehall "search and acquire" role, to prevent government departments sitting on land to maximise its value (for future sales).
The TCPA believes a single cross government minister needs to be given authority over land releases to ensure sites are available to meet key national objectives, such as more affordable homes, or to provide sites for recycling and renewable energy installations.
The report highlights the urgent need for quicker and more cost-efficient public land sales. It calls for reform of the current system, whereby surplus public land is often sold from one Whitehall department to another at top market prices.
A groundbreaking new pilot programme aimed at changing the way affordable housing is delivered in Cambridge was launched in a new document setting out details about the Housing Corporation's Cambridge Challenge pilot.
The Corporation is looking to pre-select a strategic development partner to deliver affordable housing on three strategic sites in Cambridge: Northstowe, Southern Fringe and North West Cambridge.
The economic success of the region has made it one of the most attractive places to live and work in the UK. However, this success comes at a cost: house prices have risen, making it even harder for first-time buyers and young people to get onto the property ladder.
Margaret Allen, Housing Corporation Field Director (Central), said:
"We hope this will herald a major step change in the way we deliver affordable homes in Cambridge.
"The sites identified are in areas where there is planned significant growth and an acute shortage of affordable homes. Working with Cambridge City and South Cambridge local authorities, English Partnerships and the private sector, we hope the Cambridge Challenge pilot will enable earlier engagement of partners to contribute to the development of a sustainable future for the new communities, supported by timely infrastructure development and other community provisions."
The Corporation is looking for innovative proposals and evidence of capacity to deliver high quality, cost effective and sustainable new communities. The selected partner or consortium will not be given a guaranteed level of funding but an assurance that, for a specified term, they will be the sole partner and the sites will not be subject to subsequent competitive processes against other bidders. In exchange for this assurance, the partner will commit to high-level standards, procurement gains, delivery volumes, value for grant and contributing to community infrastructure.
The successful partner will be chosen in advance of the 2008/2010 bid round and will be given a five-year funding commitment.
