Communities England 'to be able to buy greenfield land'

The government's new housing and regeneration agency will be able to buy greenfield land, it has been announced.

A paper unveiled at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) annual conference has outlined the proposal, which aims to facilitate the development of eco-towns around the country.

Formed from a merger of the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships, the Communities England remit will potentially extend beyond brownfield land, the paper suggested.

"Given the wider remit of Communities England and the need to consider places holistically when developing, we are considering whether to remove the current restriction to brownfield land," it noted.

"We must raise our efforts if we are to reach the levels of supply needed across the country," commented communities secretary Ruth Kelly, speaking at the conference.

The National Housing Federation has said that Communities England must live up to its name and build communities as opposed to just houses.


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