East Suffolk Council
Brownfield land grant to help pave way for waterfront regeneration
A Government grant worth more than £4.2million has been awarded to East Suffolk Council (ESC) to help transform brownfield land in Lowestoft into much needed future housing.
The £4,203,800 grant is part of the second phase of a £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) designed to unlock sites across the country to make way for more than 6,000 new homes.
The funding will help cover the cost of land remediation at the former Sanyo and Survitec manufacturing sites located on the south side of Lake Lothing, Lowestoft, in an area known as Kirkley Waterfront.
The land was acquired by predecessor to ESC, Waveney District Council, in 2018, having stood vacant since 2009, and forms part of the Kirkley Waterfront and Sustainable Urban Neighbourhood scheme, which focuses on regenerating the area to provide housing and jobs for local people.
The work will enable preparation for future development of plans which include the construction of 350 new homes at the former Sanyo and Survitec manufacturing sites.
Cllr David Beavan, East Suffolk's cabinet member for Housing said: “This is good news. Lowestoft’s industrial past can be transformed into much needed housing which is as affordable and as sustainable as we can make it.
“Record homelessness needs more housing, which is better on brownfield than greenfield sites.
“We just need funding for the tidal barrier now to allow this project to go full steam ahead.”
Investigation work and utilities studies have been carried out with financial support from Homes England, sponsored by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Remediation and housing development proposals are planned to be progressed in tandem between 2023 and 2026.
The BLRF grant will go towards site clearance, demolition, removal of tanks and below ground services, removal of contamination, asbestos, hydrocarbons, and ground gas monitoring.
To date, the fund has supported at least 89 local authorities and more than 160 projects, providing almost £100m to support councils to release land for almost 8,600 homes.
The One Public Estate programme
The One Public Estate programme is a partnership between the Office of Government Property in the Cabinet Office, the Local GovernmentAssociation and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. It provides practical and technical support and funding for public sector partners to deliver ambitious property-led programmes in collaboration.