Ambitious plans to unlock land for 17,000 homes in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Derby – linked to new HS2 growth zones – have moved a step closer.
Housing Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that a further 44 new areas across England have been shortlisted for a slice of £4.1billion in Housing Infrastructure Fund funding; to provide vital infrastructure such as roads, bridges and new schools needed by new communities.
For the East Midlands, that could mean funding of up to £100m for new infrastructure which will support the two HS2 stations proposed for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. A network of garden villages, which includes developments at Stanton and the Chetwynd Barracks site, will form the centerpiece of the HS2 Station and innovation campus at Toton (artist’s impression pictured) and will bring huge economic and quality of life benefits for local people. This is complemented by new housing and employment opportunities set around a major new link road between Chesterfield and Staveley in the north of the region.
The bid has been led by Nottinghamshire County Council, on behalf of the D2N2 LEP area.
Further assessment of the bids will now take place, with Government officials working alongside the local bid team. A final decision is expected in the autumn (2018).
Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This Government is committed to working with communities to build the homes this country needs and ensure the right infrastructure is in place to support them.
“We will now be working closely with areas shortlisted to apply for government investment including Nottinghamshire. These key projects will help unlock more much needed homes by delivering the roads, schools and doctors’ surgeries that communities need.”
Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, added: “We are proud to lead the Housing Infrastructure bid on behalf of the region and I am absolutely delighted that it has passed this very important hurdle, demonstrating that the Government shares our vision for the huge growth potential that exists in the East Midlands, particularly around HS2.
“The development of a network of mixed use ‘garden villages’ will help us attract and retain high quality jobs and talented people to complement our wider growth story. If our bid is successful, it has the potential to be one of the biggest single investments in infrastructure ever made in Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands.”
Matt Wheatley, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “HS2 is about much more than transport, with the capacity to create significant business and housing opportunities.
“If successful the Housing Infrastructure Fund bid backed by local authority partners and D2N2, to support the ‘garden villages’ project linked to the East Midlands Rail Hub planned for Toton, will enable us to deliver on the ambitions set out in the East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy publication, published last autumn. It is funding which could truly transform the areas in which it is invested.”
Independent analysis suggests that, by targeting key sectors that can benefit from HS2 connectivity – in particular manufacturing, technology and high value services – HS2 can help deliver an additional 74,000 jobs and almost £4 billion of GVA by 2043 in the region.
For further information about this news article please contact Rob Shirley, Senior Media Officer at Nottinghamshire County Council on 0115 9772802 or email: news@nottscc.gov.uk
Media wanting further information about the D2N2 LEP can contact D2N2 Communications Manager Sean Kirby on 0115 957 8749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
