New protocols for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have been announced by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to help with the supply of new homes and the regeneration of deprived communities.

When the HCA was originally announced, fears had been raised at a local government level that regeneration projects and planning would be dictated from central Government. The DCLG hopes to alleviate some of those fears with the announcement of the HCA’s protocols. The agreement between the HCA and local government includes a number of key areas in which the HCA will support local regeneration. These include helping bring forward land for development, helping to unlock strategic land assets, coordinating land development with public sector agencies and to facilitate discussions between councils on housing delivery.

The HCA is due to begin operating in April 2009. Its remit will be to bridge the gap between national housing targets and local priorities by offering a ‘clear and consistent approach to the allocation of funding’ thereby helping councils to develop proposals for funding in an informed way.

John Slaughter, director of external affairs for the Home Builders Federation (HBF), told PIN: “This is a welcome initiative which we hope will focus public bodies, including the new agency, on facilitating investment from the private sector and supporting the home building industry as it strives to deliver the housing this country needs.”