TUNNEL VISION BLOCKS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DELIVERY

Affordable housing delivery is at risk from ministers' tunnel vision on allocating regional housing cash, says the South East England Regional Assembly.

Ministers this week are expected to announce regional housing budgets for the next three years, but limits on how funds can be used could rule out innovative South East projects. The Assembly argues that the schemes would overcome common problems in planning new affordable homes but Government rules may prevent this. The two schemes would account for less than 4% of the South East's expected £1.3 billion budget. They are:
Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF - £30m)

This will help unlock sites for development by funding infrastructure to support new housing, which would normally be refused due to a lack of infrastructure investment. The RIF spending can be claimed back once development is complete so the funds could be re-used for new projects in the region. It is recommended to use money from the RIF to help deliver housing in the Thames Basin Heaths area where new development has been in a logjam for more than a year.
Brownfield Land Assembly Company (BLAC - £18.7m)

This will clear up and prepare small scale brownfield sites so they can be sold for new development. The money from the sale can then be re-used for investment in other sites. Over the next three years it is estimated that 650 extra affordable homes could be built with help from BLAC.

Assembly Chairman Cllr Keith Mitchell CBE, said:

"The Assembly and Government have the same aim and that is to build more affordable homes. But ministers' tunnel vision is obscuring the realities of how delivery happens. If Government is really committed to deliver more affordable housing, it needs to broaden its horizon and work with the region on overcoming the barriers that prevent us building the homes we all want to see.

"Building more affordable housing in a complex market requires innovative approaches and our proposals will help release brownfield and fund vital infrastructure such as transport and utilities before homes are built. Delivery could be increased considerably which brings significant gains for a small price."

Contacts

Lesley van Dijk, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. The Assembly is a partnership of councils and communities in the South East region. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 112 members including elected councillors nominated by the region's local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.

3. The Assembly has six roles:

1. Regional Planning
   preparing and delivering the South East Plan
2. Regional Housing
   the Regional Housing Board decides housing investment priorities
3. Regional Transport
   the Regional Transport Board decides transport investment priorities
4. Advocacy
   pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels
5. Accountability
   scrutinising SEEDA's plans and impact
6. Alignment
   co-ordinating regional policies and decisions.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

SOUTH EAST PHOTO LIBRARY

The South East England Regional Assembly's photo library MediaStore, gives everyone the chance to access images of issues affecting the region. MediaStore draws on the knowledge of the Assembly to provide you with images from all over the South East.

• regularly updated with photos covering topics from housing to transport to flooding
• easy to access and download
• fully searchable
• a wide variety of high resolution images
• there's no charge for this service, just credit the Assembly when an image is used.

To view images from across the region visit: www.southeast-ra-mediastore.co.uk

Last updated: 26 November 2007