Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove has announced he will give the Isle of Wight Council nearly £950,000 to help with the construction of new homes on brownfield sites across the Island.
The Isle of Wight Council is one of 53 councils set to benefit from the Government’s £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund.
Mr Gove said new homes will help people get on the property ladder, boost local communities, and level up the country.
Island MP Bob Seely has been leading a parliamentary campaign on planning and housing, arguing that the Government should do more to ensure building takes place on brownfield land. He has repeatedly objected to greenfield developments across the Island, arguing that they are harmful to the environment.
Welcoming the news, Mr Seely said: “I am delighted the Government has created this fund and allocated us a share of it. I and others have been suggesting to the Government that more money is made available to support brownfield clean-up for housing.
“We need housebuilding, in sensitive numbers, in exiting communities, for Islanders. What we do not need is low density, car dependent, greenfield development which damages our quality of life, our tourism economy and which does permanent damage to the landscape.”
Mr Gove said: “We are levelling up and backing home ownership in every corner of the country, delivering new high-quality, affordable homes and creating thriving places where people want to live, work and visit.
“Making the most of previously developed land is a government priority and it will help protect our cherished countryside and green spaces.”
