Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is she taking to encourage the development of affordable homes on brownfield sites.

The government is committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other identified needs – such as affordable housing – and support development that makes efficient use of land.

The government has also committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure that new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure, including on suitable brownfield sites. Further details will be set out in due course.

At the Spending Review, the Chancellor announced £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36.

This new Social and Affordable Homes Programme will give Registered Providers a decade of certainty over the capital funding they will have available to build new, more ambitious housing development projects.

Outside of London, Homes England will be able to use this funding to support the development of affordable homes, including on suitable brownfield land across the country.

The programme will not have numerical targets or ringfenced budgets for particular regions or types of home beyond the GLA’s portion, but we will ensure that established Mayoral Strategic Authorities (EMSAs), including the Mayor of the West Midlands, can set its strategic direction in their areas and indicative upfront spend subject to suitable projects.