Housing Secretary Steve Reed has confirmed that the second round of the New Homes Accelerator site ‘unblocking’ programme will be expanded to cover “smaller sites under 500 homes,” with a “sharp focus on getting homes built this Parliament and ramping up housebuilding in London.”

“Over 125,000 new homes will be built faster thanks to the Government’s intervention programme to kickstart housebuilding on sites facing delays,” the Ministry of Housing commented.

The Housing Secretary “called on developers, landowners, and councils to come forward with further sites that need government support through the New Homes Accelerator to get moving.”

The Accelerator has seen planning experts brought in to “assist with sites across the country, whilst also working closely with statutory consultees and other government departments on specific issues impacting sites in the programme.” So far, it has accelerated delivery of 48,500 homes, according to the Ministry of Housing.

It has also “unlocked issues” at a further 76,500 homes, working with other government departments and arms-length bodies on “statutory consultee processes, key infrastructure delivery of schools and GP facilities, and energy solutions.”

Seven more sites are joining the programme, adding over 11,400 homes across priority growth areas, including several in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor; four in Bicester, and Stewartby Brickworks in Bedfordshire.