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Public sector sites identified for 50,000 homes

Thursday, 6 October 2011 1:26 PM

Government departments have published plans to sell off surplus land to provide 50,000 desperately needed new homes.

With land for another 11,000 housing starts already identified by the Homes and Communities Agency, the news means the government is on track to meet its target of releasing enough surplus public land for 100,000 homes by 2015.

Now housing minister Grant Shapps is looking to extend a 'build now, pay later' model under which developers can start work and pay for the land only after homes are built.

The four departments that announced disposal strategies are the Ministry of Defence, Department of Health, Department of Transport and Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Site includes surplus offices, hospitals and defence facilities.

Shapps also revealed plans for a new Community Right to Reclaim Land, which will allow members of the public to request a sale of public land and buildings through one simple form rather than have to battle bureaucracy.

He said: "The government is one of the country's biggest landlords, so at a time when we desperately need more homes, we have a critical role in making new sites available for developers and communities."

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