Housing-led regeneration could deliver huge benefits for the north of England

However, this will only be unlocked if systemic viability issues can be overcome.  Research by the Northern Housing Consortium identified three distinct regeneration opportunities in the north:

• The growth and renewal of town and city centres, with over 100,000 new homes already planned in the associated regeneration schemes
• Developing new homes on underused brownfield land, which could unlock 320,000 new homes
• Neighbourhood renewal, with around 100,000 social housing homes in need of regeneration in the next ten years.

However, the biggest barrier to the delivery of housing-led regeneration is financial viability.  Grant funding is required to support such schemes due to the north's lower land / property values and rent levels, combined with remediation costs for brownfield sites.  The report called for certainty over long-term funding, which would de-risk more complex brownfield developments, enabling more schemes to be delivered.