England’s 353 councils are set to share a cash payout of £661m over the next year, after delivering 142,000 new homes, including self Build and affordable properties.
This funding under the New Homes Bonus scheme will also reward councils for bringing 13,000 long-term empty properties back into use.
This latest allocation, to be paid in the 2013 to 2014 financial year, means councils will have received £1.3bn through the scheme since its launch in April 2011.
This total represents more than 400,000 new builds and conversions, and over 50,000 empty properties which have been brought back into use.
Housing Minister Mark Prisk said: “For years, developers found themselves at loggerheads with communities unconvinced that their plans for growth would benefit them. But the New Homes Bonus is turning this around.
“The £1.3 billion paid out to councils to date has meant that now local people are able to see the rewards of new developments in their area – paving the way for thousands of much-needed, locally-supported homes to be delivered across the country.”
The figures reveal that six of the 10 councils to receive the highest allocations of funding in respect of homes built in 2011/12 are London boroughs.
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets comes top as a result of some 3,372 new homes and a further 133 units brought back into use in the year to October. This entitles the council to an additional £5,961,042 in New Homes Bonus cash next year. Neighbouring London boroughs Hackney and Islington are second and third respectively.
Birmingham City Council and Leeds City Council are the only councils outside the south of England to feature in the top ten.