Councils awarded new funding to transform communities

Some £8.7M in funding has been awarded by the government to councils, which will improve public services, stimulate economic growth and free up land for thousands of new homes.

The funding has been allocated as part of the One Public Estate (OPE) programme, a partnership between the Cabinet Office and the Local Government Association, which will help Council’s access vital support in delivering new projects.

Some 90% of councils are now part of the programme, designed to create 44,000 new jobs and release land for 25,000 new homes. This will see 56 council-led partnerships supported through the OPE, which gives partnerships the support and funding to help them to use publicly-owned land and buildings more efficiently, benefiting communities across the country.

The support and funding will help them develop and deliver ambitious property programmes to benefit their communities. Launched in 2013, the programme has grown from 12 areas to support over 90% of councils with the new projects announced today.

By 2020, partnerships on the programme are expected to deliver £615M in capital receipts, £158M running costs savings, create 44,000 new jobs and release land for 25,000 new homes.

Caroline Nokes, the Minister for Government Resilience and Efficiency, said: “When I launched this application round in August I hoped that new funding and the obvious benefits of the programme would grab the attention of councils and boost the numbers getting involved. I’m delighted to see that we now have over 90% of councils on board, up from around three quarters previously. People in many more communities will feel the benefits of new housing, better public services and efficiencies as a result.”

Cllr Nick Forbes, Senior Vice Chair of the LGA, said: “Councils play a crucial role in their communities. With the right funding and support they can help transform them and ensure that they are enjoyable and prosperous places to live. One Public Estate is a good example of providing coordinated backing for councils and I am glad that so many of them are taking part in this important initiative. I look forward to this programme’s results.”

 

 

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