Government fulfills pledge to sell public land for housing development27th February 2014

According to Housing Minister Kris Hopkins, the Government, which is one of the UK's major landowners, has sold over 430 brownfield sites across the country. This is enough land on which to build 68,000 homes and to support 135,000 jobs while the houses are being built.

Mr Hopkins said the government had delivered on its promise to release thousands of acres of previously-developed land and property under the public sector land programme, and called on housebuilders and developers to get on and use the land to build more homes.

The public sector holds up to 40 per cent of land suitable for development and around 27 per cent of brownfield land, which is appropriate for new housing.

It will soon be possible to search for all Government property online. A new search engine, offering everything from motorway lay-bys to vacant airfields, is to be launched.

Mr Hopkins is urging councils to follow the lead set by central government to make their unused land available for development.

"We’re making it easier for the public to see what land we own, and challenge us if they think they could use it better. Councils should now follow our lead, and consider if their land and property could be sold and used for delivering new homes, jobs and businesses in their communities," said Kris Hopkins.

Examples of development sites sold by The Government include:

• The Princess Marina Hospital, Upton, Northampton - this former 1950s hospital and campus has been sold to Persimmon Homes, who will be building 550 homes and 4,000 sq m of commercial property.
• Booth Hall Hospital, Salford - this hospital closed in 2009 and the first phase of 150 homes has just been launched.
• Aldershot Urban Extension Sites, Hampshire - this former military site includes 150 hectares of development land and over 100 hectares of green open space. It will become a new community called Wellesley with 3,850 new homes and includes historic buildings such as the Cambridge Military Hospital.