The Government has announced new funding worth £45 million in the West of England to deliver housing.
The investment is the first allocation for the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority from the national Brownfield Housing Fund.
Part of a wider investment which hopes to unlock 8,000 new homes across seven regions in the country, the West of England has secured an above average allocation.
The devolved funding is directly allocated to Mayoral Combined Authorities and will help housing delivery, including more new affordable homes, by easing the viability pressures which many brownfield sites face due to the increased costs often encountered when redeveloping previously used land.
The region’s Mayor Helen Godwin has been lobbying for the funding on behalf of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Helen Godwin said: “The last week has been huge for devolution and for our region.
“The West of England now has a proper voice at the table, so we are securing unprecedented investment in housing and transport.
“In this new chapter, we are banging the drum for our region and can now look forward to building more homes and creating more jobs for local people.
“We are building strong relationships with government ministers, working closely with Steve Reed and his team to get more of the investment that the West needs.
“This new funding – worth £45 million for our region – will prove enormously important as we work together to step up efforts to tackle the housing crisis by building the right homes in the right places, with the right services and infrastructure for people to live well and get around.”
Nick Allan, international partner at Cushman & Wakefield and president of the Bristol Property Agents Association, said: “We welcome the significant achievement of the West of England’s Mayor, Helen Godwin, and her team to securing this level of investment from central government.
“Despite the economic strength of the region, the delivery of residential development in all its forms has been notably impacted by the softening in pricing whilst also having to absorb the additional cost burden driven by increasing build costs, financing rates and in certain projects, Building Safety Act compliance.
“We are hoping this funding will assist in unlocking some of the region’s viability challenged and game changing projects.”
James Blundell, development advisory and residential land senior director at CBRE, said: “Unlocking challenging brownfield land is fundamental to delivering the homes and neighbourhoods the West of England urgently needs.
“This £45 million allocation is a landmark moment for the region, and CBRE is delighted to see this funding unlocked.
“By helping to overcome viability barriers and accelerating the delivery of high‑quality, well‑connected places, it will ensure that brownfield opportunity translates into real homes for local people.
“We are grateful to the Combined Authority for their determined efforts in securing this commitment, excited by what it means for the future of the region, and look forward to playing our part in supporting sustainable growth and thriving communities across the West of England.”
Julian Harbottle, director and head of Western region at Savills, said: “We are delighted to welcome this funding, which marks a major step forward in unlocking the potential of brownfield sites across the West of England.
“This funding will help us deliver the new homes our region urgently needs while regenerating underused land, supporting sustainable communities, and driving inclusive economic growth.
“It’s a strong vote of confidence in the future, and we congratulate the Mayor for securing the investment.”
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