£200million Fund to Protect the Countryside from Building

Plans to build thousands of new homes in 10 towns and cities across the country have been unveiled by the Government. The Treasury will pay £200million towards the cost of getting the "brownfield" sites ready for new homes, ministers said. Brandon Lewis, the new Planning and Housing minister, said the cash would ensure that greenfield areas across England are protected from builders, because it would mean that developers' resources were more focused on meeting a share of housing need in towns and cities. Under the scheme, councils will be given the chance to bid to set up 10 new housing zones in urban areas across the country.  As part of the deal, the local authorities will have to commit to building between 750 and 2,000 new homes. Read more about the bidding process on the CLG website.