Medway Council is calling on Homes England and the DLUHC to continue supporting the £170 million Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) program to deliver new infrastructure on the Hoo Peninsula.

The council is urging Homes England, the national body responsible for ‘building housing’, to ensure it remains committed to undertaking the HIF project in partnership, after learning that there is a risk to the housing authority government’s withdrawal of support.

The withdrawal of HIF funding will have serious implications for Medway’s ability to meet the Government’s request for 28,500 new homes across Medway by 2040 and for the peninsula’s future as a a sustainable, well-supported gardening community.

It would risk millions of pounds of unfunded investment in new infrastructure, including roads on and around the Hoo Peninsula, improving public transport, access to green spaces and opportunities. job.

In March 2023, the council released a detailed plan of how the plan would be implemented within the £170 million budget agreed initially in 2019 and first proposed in 2017. , amid the global backdrop of rising construction costs and high inflation of capital projects, including many Government programs, up and down the country.

Councilor Vince Maple, recently elected Labor and Cooperatives Leader at Medway Council, said: “The HIF funding reinforces the council’s aspiration to realize its full potential. sustainable growth on the peninsula as part of our vision for Medway as a whole.

“We need Homes England to be pragmatic, partner with us and explore all the options that will enable critical new infrastructure delivery ahead of new homes and jobs.

“The important thing is that stopping the HIF project will not stop new homes from coming in. It will block important roads, public transport and public access to the green space that current residents are calling for. It will also jeopardize the important new jobs coming to Medway. Crucially, HIF funding opens up other contributions from developers to support the delivery of critical infrastructure such as new schools, healthcare facilities, and communities.

“It is important that new homes are built in the right places, alongside places to work and study, with the right roads and community infrastructure to sustain economic prosperity. and society of Medway of which the Housing Infrastructure Fund is the backbone.”

The Council has written to the President and CEO of Homes England requesting an urgent meeting, as well as to the Minister responsible for HIF at the Department for Upgrades, Housing and Communities, who is driving the need to provide sustainable communities across the UK. Nation.

The final decision on the future of HIF funding will be made by Rt Hon Michael Gove, Secretary of State for the Department of Upgrades, Housing and Communities.