New social housing in North East to get £1.1bn

Brownfield site Forth Yards in Newcastle is already set to be redeveloped

More than £1bn has been promised to the north-east of England to build new social housing.

The government has announced plans to deliver thousands of social and affordable homes across the region.

Amid questions over whether Labour can hit a target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029, ministers have allocated the North East an expected £1.1bn under the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) - a £39bn scheme running until 2036.

Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said Labour had not revealed when the funding to build the homes would be made available.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the funding aimed to reduce the number of families stuck on waiting lists, with 180,000 social rent homes expected to be built in England.

'Safe, secure homes'

The government said regional mayors would have the power to "shape the course of action" by setting out what type of homes will be built and where, though bids for funding will still have to be approved by Homes England.

While there is no confirmation of where the money will be spent, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness' office indicated it would encourage bids to build on land in what it deemed priority areas.

These could include around the proposed Tyne and Wear Metro line extension to Washington and other potential transport link upgrades.

Riverside sites like Newcastle's Forth Yards and Gateshead Quays, and town centres such as South Shields, Wallsend, Ashington and the Sunniside area of Sunderland could also be used, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the investment would be "life-changing for thousands of families in the North East waiting for a safe, secure home of their own".

However, Cleverley, his Conservative opponent, said: "Labour are refusing to say when the money to actually build the homes will be made available - and how much of it, if any, will be up for grabs before the next election."

A £150m package has also been allocated to mayors to fund the development of brownfield sites, with the aim of building more than 4,000 homes, with £23m going to the North East Combined Authority.

A further £6.1m is being allocated to the Tees Valley, which the government said would unlock 244 new houses and revive run-down sites.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government also announced £225,000 each for Newcastle and Hartlepool councils to help "accelerate the construction of council homes at a scale not seen in years".

Additional reporting by PA Media