Housing Infrastructure Fund announcement: CCN responds

CCN Latest News, CCN News 2018 | 01 February 2018

Today, the government announced the first wave of allocations in the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

 

Cllr Philip Atkins, County Councils Network Spokesman for Housing, Infrastructure, and Planning:

“CCN welcomes today’s announcement, with over half the funding allocated to projects in county and county unitary areas. County councils will be crucial to delivering these vital infrastructure projects that support housing growth, in partnership with their district councils.

 “We look forward to the second wave of announcements relating to Forward Plan projects, which have been led by upper-tier councils, hoping that the government recognises the significant infrastructure gaps facing counties and ambitious proposals by our member councils.

 “A focus on infrastructure provision, instead of the previous emphasis on New Homes Bonus, is the most crucial means of ensuring we jointly deliver the government’s housing objectives.

 “Alongside this, we urge the government to consider wider planning reform in two-tier areas and reforms to developer contributions. The draft Statement of Common is a step in the right direction, but we need to see this to be strengthened. Further reforms to re-establish strategic planning on a county-wide scale should be considered, building on recent announcement in Oxfordshire.”