News: £9m for South Yorkshire housing growth plans

Housing Minister Margaret Beckett has announced that South Yorkshire will share more than £9m to help deliver their long-term plans to increase house building to meet the needs of their communities. The fund is to be received over the next two years to help build 49,230 more homes than previously planned by 2016. Under the Growth Points scheme, the funding will enable the local authorities with ambitious plans for growth to invest in the essential services that need to accompany the building of new homes, from transport links and schools to the regeneration of town centres and the provision of parks and other green spaces. Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency said: "This funding will play a significant part in helping growth areas deliver not only more homes, but the vital infrastructure that is needed to underpin new communities. Through our Single Conversation model we will be working closely with these local authorities to support them, not only in the delivery of growth, but to create a single investment plan that will successfully bring forward local goals in a more integrated way." The government will also soon be announcing which local authorities will get a share of £200m to pay for transport improvements through the Community Infrastructure Fund, also managed by the Homes and Communities Agency.

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Rotherham