COUNCILS in Cumbria are due to receive a £4.9 million bonus next year for enabling more than 3,000 new homes to be built in the county, the Government has announced.
The allocation for 2014-15 means Cumbria will have received £10.1 million over a four year period for helping to provide 3,051 newly-built homes and conversions, and bringing 443 empty homes back into use. These figures also include 1,309 affordable homes.
Housing Minister Kris Hopkins has published details of the latest New Homes Bonus payments being made to England’s 353 councils, in recognition of their contribution to building new homes. Official figures last week from the Official for National Statistics showed that housing construction has risen to its highest levels since 2007.
Under the New Homes Bonus, councils have been rewarded for helping to provide 550,000 newly-built homes and conversions and bringing 93,000 empty homes back into use. This total includes over 160,000 affordable homes.
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