Homes England secures former prison site for housing

A former prison site has been handed to Homes England for housing development.

Land which formerly housed the Northeye prison at Bexhill-on-Sea has been formally transferred from the Home Office to Homes England, after plans to use it for asylum seeker accommodation were ditched.

Homes England will now work with Rother District Council to develop homes for the site. The land has been allocated for housing in Rother District Council’s adopted 2019 local plan and its emerging local plan sets out proposals for 384 homes on the site.

Amy Ree, chief executive of Homes England, said: “The transfer of the Northeye site represents not only a significant local milestone but also a clear example of Homes England’s national strategy in action, unlocking public land, working in partnership with places, and helping to deliver the homes and places communities need for the future.”

Homes England will begin maintenance and site management on the site while it develops the proposals.

The transfer has taken place under the government’s single land programme, which aims to brins unused public land into productive use to support housing delivery and regeneration.