National Highways launches £165m fund to unlock ‘planning ready’ development

The fund is intended to support developments where transport improvements are the key barrier to delivery, particularly sites that are already well‑advanced through the planning process. National Highways has confirmed that priority will be given to schemes with full planning permission in place, reflecting an increasing focus on “planning‑ready” development that can come forward quickly once infrastructure hurdles are addressed.

 

The GHA fund will operate over a five‑year period from 2026 to 2030, targeting high‑impact schemes that would otherwise stall due to funding gaps associated with works affecting, or located on, the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The programme builds on the success of the earlier Growth and Housing Fund, which ran from 2015 to 2020 and supported the delivery of thousands of new homes and jobs across England.

 

According to National Highways, the aim of the new fund is to work collaboratively with local authorities, mayoral strategic authorities and developers to unlock development potential at sites where transport infrastructure viability is preventing implementation. While funding will be available to support a range of schemes, the agency has made clear that it expects significant match funding, with an indicative target of around 75 per cent contribution from other public or private sources.

 

A prospectus accompanying the announcement sets out the key criteria against which bids will be assessed. These include the extent of planning readiness, with a strong emphasis on schemes that already benefit from full planning consent. National Highways will also consider whether any further steps are required before development can commence, such as the need for compulsory purchase powers or additional mitigation measures.

 

Applications will also be assessed against the scale and timing of development benefits, including the number of homes and jobs expected to be delivered, and how these compare to the level of funding requested. For schemes within areas covered by mayoral strategic authorities, alignment with regional priorities will also be an important consideration.

 

Commenting on the launch, National Highways’ Chief Customer and Strategy Officer highlighted the role of transport infrastructure in supporting growth and housing delivery, noting that the fund will help remove barriers that currently prevent consented developments from coming forward. The initiative also aligns with the Government’s wider ambition to significantly boost housing delivery during the current Parliament.

 

While only local and mayoral authorities can apply directly, National Highways actively encourage early engagement with developer partners to strengthen applications.   Expressions of interest for the Growth and Housing Accelerator fund are now open, with a closing date of Friday 19 June 2026.

 

What this means for developers and local authorities

 

The launch of the GHA fund reinforces the growing importance of early, high‑quality planning work. Schemes that are well‑prepared, policy‑compliant and fully consented are far more likely to benefit from infrastructure funding opportunities of this nature. For developers and public sector bodies alike, securing planning permission and resolving technical issues early can be critical to unlocking future investment and accelerating delivery.

 

Next Steps

 

DHA Transport will continue to monitor developments in relation to the Growth and Housing Accelerator fund and associated guidance as it emerges.   Further updates will be shared in due course as application windows progress and more detail becomes available on eligibility, assessment criteria and lessons learned from early schemes.