Deals to provide more homes in England announced by Government

Over £218 million-worth of investment in the West of England and Oxfordshire is set to help deliver thousands of new homes for local communities, Housing Secretary Sajid Javid has announced.

The Government said support for the West of England will help to nearly double the number of new homes being delivered historically, increasing from around 4,000 homes to 7,500 homes a year.

Ministers are also set to approve a housing deal with Oxfordshire worth £215 million that will help deliver a further 100,000 new homes by 2031.

The Government also said housing infrastructure fund bids, from a further 44 areas have been shortlisted to the next stage.

Subject to further assessment, a potential £4.1 billion funding will be available for infrastructure like roads, bridges, new schools and medical centres, which are needed for new communities.

Mr Javid said: "This new housing investment in the West of England and Oxfordshire will help build much-needed homes, giving more people the opportunity to get on the property ladder.

"We're also investing in local infrastructure like schools, roads and hospitals, so that we can help unlock even more new homes in the areas where they're needed most."

The Government said the West of England - covering Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset - is a high housing demand area.

Across the region, average house prices are more than eight times average incomes, with homes in Bath more than 10 times the average income.

The package includes £3 million of funding for specialist support to help the region deliver homes.