A new twenty year vision to deliver badly needed housing, infrastructure and new jobs for the East of England has been published by Communities Minister, Parmjit Dhanda.

The revised Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) will deliver a vision for continuing growth and spreading prosperity to all communities in the East of England in a planned and sustainable way over the next two decades.

Publication of the plan follows a rigorous public consultation and independent examination process. It will deliver a step change for housing and jobs growth that will help the region tackle homelessness and housing affordability. The plan also responds to the major transport, waste and environmental issues affecting the region.


The latest statistical projections show that new households are expected to grow by 30,500 a year up to 2021 in the region which means housing provision needs to accelerate to keep up with demand. The RSS sets out a plan to deliver 508,000 more homes (25,400 a year) and new jobs to hit 452,000 by 2021.

Over £142m will be invested (2008-11) to support growth around the main cities and towns including Cambridge, Peterborough, Stevenage, Harlow, and the growth points at Norwich, Colchester, Ipswich and Thetford. Today we are announcing that Chelmsford, Dacorum (Hemel Hempstead), St Albans, St Edmundsbury and Welwyn Hatfield are to be Growth Areas with £28m of additional funding confirmed and that King's Lynn has been confirmed as a Growth Point.

The Government has made millions of pounds of funding available to support infrastructure in the region including schools, hospitals, leisure centres and transport links through the Growth Fund, the Community Infrastructure Fund and Housing and Planning Delivery Grants. In addition the Community Infrastructure Levy currently being considered by Parliament will potentially create another important funding source for councils delivering new housing.

(CD/JM)