£2m awarded to unlock potential for 675 new homes in Buxton

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Philip Hammond announced today (Thursday) that 11 council-led projects across the East Midlands would receive funding from the £5bn Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) - a government capital grant programme to help unlock new homes in areas with the greatest housing demand.

The investment is intended to fund key local infrastructure projects including new roads, cycle paths, flood defences and land remediation work, all essential ahead of building the homes.

High Peak Borough Council has been allocated £2m to assist with the development of three local authority-owned sites at Hogshaw and Granby Road - which have the potential to provide 675 new homes - by funding improvements to access and land remediation.

Details are awaited concerning exactly where the money will be spent, however the authority has previously stated the need for new link roads off the A6 at Fairfield Common to access housing development opportunities in Fairfield and at Hogshaw.

High Peak's HIF bid was one of three to be successful in the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership area.

Matt Wheatley, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "This is great news for the D2N2 LEP area and shows the strength of the bids by our local authority partners.

"The HIF investment will complement funding already provided by the LEP, to accelerate housing delivery.

“The need for more housing, in particular affordable homes, is rarely out of the news these days; and the LEP is committed to backing and working with partners in its area to ensure communities get the homes they need.”

The Chancellor said: “Today marks the first step of the multi-billion pound investment we announced at the Budget to help build the homes our country needs.

“This fund finances vital infrastructure such as roads, schools and bridges, which will kick-start housing development in some of Britain’s highest-demand areas.

“This support will help us meet our ambitious plan of building 300,000 new homes each year and ensure we have enough housing in areas which need it most.”