More than £1.6 million of government funding through the Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF2) has been secured.
The funds will go towards plans for new affordable homes and independent living accommodation for older residents in Gravesham.
As one of only two authorities in Kent to successfully apply to the second round of funding, Gravesham was awarded £1,628,757, which is crucial to progressing the redevelopment of the Milton Place site, subject to planning permission being granted.
The project is the first to be proposed by the Gravesham Community Investment Partnership (GCIP), formed by Gravesham Borough Council and award-winning developer The Hill Group, to accelerate the delivery of much-needed affordable housing for those on the council’s housing register.
A public consultation was recently held to gather feedback on the early-stage plans for Milton Place, with GCIP working towards submitting a formal planning application soon.
Welcoming the award, Cllr Karina O’Malley, Gravesham Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing Services, said: “This award is an important one for our plans on the Milton Place site.
“Working with Hill, we have ambitious plans to speed up the delivery of affordable housing and to bring down the numbers of households on our housing register, who all have an identified housing need and demonstrable links to Gravesham.
“We are already delivering on our promise of building hundreds of new council-owned homes, with our development at Armoury Drive, Gravesham, which opened earlier this year, and work is getting underway on new homes at St Patrick’s Gardens.
“The work of GCIP will run parallel to that programme and will help us make solid in-roads into bringing our waiting list down over the coming years.
“This award is a real shot in the arm for the partnership.”
Andy Hill OBE, founder and Group Chief Executive at The Hill Group, commented:
"We are proud to be working alongside Gravesham Borough Council on this exciting redevelopment of Milton Place. This partnership will not only help to address immediate housing needs but also foster a thriving community and improve residents’ quality of life.
“Securing this government funding is a crucial step forward in making our plans a reality, and underlines Hill’s reputation as being a partner of choice for local authorities seeking to deliver high-quality, affordable housing.”