Homes England has agreed a multi‑million‑pound debt facility with independent land promoter Richborough, marking the first partnership of its kind in the sector.
The flexible facility will fund continued investment in new sites and planning applications across England, growing the supply of consented land for SMEs, housing associations and major housebuilders to build much-needed new homes. This support from Homes England aims to accelerate Richborough's planning application activity and aid the delivery of the government's target to deliver 1.5 million homes this Parliament.
This investment marks one of the first commitments made through Homes England's newly established National Housing Bank, the government's new vehicle for supporting long-term placemaking and housing delivery. Operating as part of Homes England, the bank provides flexible, government-backed financing across funds, platforms, and partnerships to unlock housing and regeneration projects that the market cannot bring forward on its own, attracting private investment and accelerating delivery at scale.
Simon Century, Chief Executive Officer of the National Housing Bank said:
Homes England works with partners who share our ambition to accelerate the delivery of quality homes in the places they are needed most. Our partnership with Richborough, supported through the National Housing Bank, demonstrates our commitment to enabling housing delivery where it can have the greatest impact.
Paul Campbell, Chief Executive at Richborough said:
We are delighted to partner with Homes England to scale Richborough's impact for housing delivery. Decision times for major planning applications are taking three times longer now than in 2014* and against this backdrop, flexible long‑term capital is essential. This facility gives us the confidence to invest earlier in more sites, maintain momentum through the planning process, and bring forward high‑quality, well‑designed schemes that can be built quickly once consented.
In 2026, Richborough plans to submit more than 30 applications for schemes totalling around 12,500 new homes. This follows a strong 2025 in which the business submitted applications for around 9,000 homes and completed sales to housebuilders including Barratt Redrow, Bellway, Bromford, Charles Church, Vistry Group and Taylor Wimpey.
