Family housing awarded £2m grant

The money will be used to build affordable housing

Oxfordshire councils will receive nearly £2m to encourage the building of more family and first-time homes, the government has announced.

The Housing and Planning Delivery Grant will provide additional direct funding to councils.

Housing Minister Margaret Beckett said it would ensure that new homes were built where families needed them.

"We are determined to do everything possible to ensure long-term fairness in the housing market," she said.

"The international credit crunch has created significant challenges for the UK but we have a growing and ageing population and the long-term need to provide more homes has not gone away."

More than £1,780,000 has been made available to Oxfordshire councils.

To be eligible for the funding, local authorities must continue to provide suitable land for development over future years.

The government has also asked them to provide the local plans necessary to deliver the needed homes and also carry out a strategic assessment of their housing market.