Havant Borough Council secures £1.65 million of funding for town centre regeneration through the Government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund.
Following a successful application to The Government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 (BLRF2), Havant Borough Council has been awarded funding to develop land in Havant Town Centre.
The BLRF2 programme supports local authorities to bring forward surplus land for housing in addition to creating better places through a more effective and efficient use of public assets.
Havant Borough Council has secured £1.65million to initiate plans to redevelop one of the underused town centre car parks in Bulbeck Road. The funding will provide upfront capital to address viability issues at the site.
It is hoped that this funding will assist in plans to deliver a scheme that could see up to 91 residential units built on the site, with allocated parking.
The project will address the aspirations of the council by bringing forward more affordable housing whilst also kickstarting regeneration of the town centre. Delivering on the borough’s Regeneration and Economy Strategy, the project is also aligned with Havant Borough Council’s Corporate Strategy.
The next steps include working with partners in the borough to determine the details of the scheme.
Councillor Alex Rennie, Leader of Havant Borough Council, said; “It is fantastic news that Havant has secured this funding as part of the One Public Estate Programme, to allow us to hopefully accelerate the development of this key site.”
“This project identifies the opportunities we have in the heart of Havant that will unlock future investment for borough-wide regeneration.
"We know the town centre needs rejuvenating and our goal is to make it somewhere that more people want to live in. It will create the opportunity to deliver on much needed housing, including affordable homes, in an area that provides mainline rail and bus links in an historic town centre.
Minister for Housing Rt Hon Lucy Frazer said: “We are helping local communities transform unwanted, urban eyesores into thriving places that people are proud to call home. Regeneration is at the heart of our levelling up mission and this new brownfield first fund will help communities across the country unlock disused, council-owned sites to build more of the right homes in the right places”
Alex Burghart, Cabinet Office Minister, added “This funding is absolutely crucial for stimulating growth and forms part of a push across the whole of government to get the UK economy moving. Unused land such as this is ripe for investment and I’m thrilled we’re opening the door for more than 2,200 new property owners to potentially take their first step onto the property ladder. This funding is great news for businesses, it’s great news for industry and it’s even better news for local people in these communities who are seeing housing and jobs moving to their area.”
This project complements a suite of bids recently submitted by Havant Borough Council and Hampshire County Council, including a Levelling Up Fund Bid focused on supporting the regeneration of Havant Town Centre.