Top five housebuilder Linden Homes has released figures that reveal the company has agreed to provide funding worth £68.3 million towards local facilities over the last five years – including £29.2 million towards education.
Over £3 million of this nationwide total has been agreed to be injected into local public facilities by the Linden Homes North region over this period.
The award-winning company, which develops sites across East Riding, South, West and North Yorkshire, agreed the payments between 2010 and 2014 as part of planning permission granted by local authorities for hundreds of much-needed new homes.
Linden Homes North released records that showed it had agreed to contribute £3,108,867 from the houses and apartments it has built across the region in communities such as South Milford, York and Hull.
Known as “Section 106 payments”, the money is agreed between developers and local councils to spend on facilities for the community.
The types of projects earmarked to receive the investment include education, transport, highways, public open spaces and health. They can also include recycling, affordable housing investment, and leisure and sport.
In the majority of cases, the money is allocated to the relevant local authority who determine its best use; either play facilities, community amenities, bus services, libraries or specifically targeted projects.
Examples have included allocations to local authorities in Selby, Leeds, York, East Riding, Bassetlaw and North Yorkshire who have used the contribution towards improvements in highways, education, open spaces and waste management.
The biggest annual contribution agreed by Linden Homes North was in 2013 when £1.2 million was earmarked to local authorities in the region.
Linden Homes North managing director Ian Hessay said: “In addition to the New Build Bonus that has been generated from our developments, the circa £3 million we have agreed to contribute to improving facilities for local people is one of the hidden benefits of housebuilding. Through much-needed high quality new homes, residents also receive a powerful boost to services.
“Across the country over the last five years that’s included improved schools, better roads and transport, new public open space and investment worth thousands in an array of other amenities.
“When you add in the boost to jobs, investment and the supply chain, housebuilding can be a powerful force for good. We’re very proud to have delivered on our promise to help build communities as well as homes.”
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