North East housing boost as NECA and Homes England agree deal
The North East Combined Authority and the government’s housing and regeneration agency have signed a strategic place partnership to support housebuilding ambitions in the region.
The agreement will deepen existing ties between NECA, North East local authorities, and Homes England, which already collaborate on projects such as Forth Yards, Newcastle and West Park, Sunderland.
Locally-led residential plans will benefit from Homes England’s resources, including land, legal powers, and funding.
Mayor of the North East Kim McGuinness said: “This announcement follows closely from the news we have invested £4.5m to support the regeneration of Horden in East Durham.
“Signing the Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England will allow us to take some of our biggest brownfield sites and turn them from eyesores into the homes and communities people need.
“It’s an opportunity to turbocharge development across the region by working with the Agency and our local authorities to create new homes that are affordable, energy efficient, and where people can thrive.”
Homes England chief executive Peter Denton said: “A strategic place partnership isn’t a ceremonial bit of paper. It signals a long-term commitment where regional and national teams work together for the benefit of communities, to achieve the visions of local leaders who understand what people local to the area want and need to thrive.
“My colleagues and I are excited to deepen our ties with the combined authority to help accelerate progress. We are united by a passion to get things done in the right way, in the right places, to help ensure successful, sustainable regeneration and more affordable, quality homes for thousands of people in the North East.”
Progress has also been made at Quayside West, the largest parcel of land in Newcastle’s Forth Yards. Homes England took possession of Quayside West in February and has now appointed Campbell Reith as consulting engineer on the site.
The firm has now started on carrying out ground stability and contamination surveys, coal mine risk, and structural assessments of retaining walls surrounding the site.
