Over 125,000 new homes will be built faster thanks to the government’s intervention programme to kickstart housebuilding on sites facing delays – which is set to expand.
The Housing Secretary is calling on developers, landowners, and councils to come forward with further sites that need government support through the New Homes Accelerator to get moving.
For the first time support will be extended to smaller sites of under 500 homes – with a sharp focus on getting homes built this Parliament and ramping up housebuilding in London.
Now in its second phase, the Accelerator has brought in planning experts to assist with sites across the country, whilst also working closely with statutory consultees and other government departments on specific issues impacting sites in the programme. Combined, this has helped progress over 48,500 homes.
Through these system-wide reforms, including working with other government departments and arms-length bodies on statutory consultee processes, key infrastructure delivery of schools and GP facilities, and energy solutions, the Accelerator has helped to unlock issues at a further 76,500 homes.
Seven more sites are joining the programme, adding over 11,400 homes across priority growth areas, including several in the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor. Sites include:
- Land West of Howes Lane, North West Bicester
- Himley Village, North West Bicester
- Hawkwell Village, North West Bicester
- Wretchwick Green, South East Bicester
- Stewartby Brickworks, Bedfordshire
Building on the biggest planning shake-up in over a decade, the Accelerator is going further tackle the housing crisis, build 1.5 million homes, and help thousands more families and young people achieve the dream of home ownership.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “The number of families and young people locked out of the dream of home ownership is unacceptable so we are doing everything we can to make that dream come true.
“We’re stripping away the barriers blocking new homes being built and our New Homes Accelerator means 125,000 will now go ahead. But we’re just getting started.
“This next phase will see spades in the ground even faster as we build the 1.5 million homes this country needs.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “The New Homes Accelerator is our growth mission in action – removing obstacles, restoring confidence and turning stalled plans into real investment on the ground - from pioneering sites in Oxford to the Cambridge Growth Corridor to new developments in the Northern Growth Corridor.
“This programme supports jobs across the country and helps more people find a secure, good‑quality home – building an economy that works for working people.”
As part of Phase 2, operations will be expanded in London through the launch of ‘NHA LDN’ and a new planning support service for boroughs, ‘ATLAS LDN’, which will both be led by the Greater London Authority (GLA) on behalf of the Mayor of London.
This second phase of the programme is ensuring that developers, housing associations, and boroughs have access to coordinated government-backed support designed to overcome some of the biggest barriers to delivery – from planning and infrastructure delays to regulatory challenges.
The GLA will bring together developers, London boroughs and the wider GLA family - including Transport for London – to get sites moving. Three stalled housing sites in London are already being supported by the NHA programme to help accelerate the delivery of hundreds of high-quality homes. It will also provide planning support to local planning authorities through its ATLAS LDN service, a new independent service offering independent expert planning support, boosting local capacity and providing independent review where needed.
Working alongside government and Homes England, these services will target London sites facing significant delays - with the aim of delivering new homes by the end of this parliament.
