English Cities Fund doubles in size

The English Cities Fund has announced that it will double its investment in cities and towns in England to £200 million.

The fund, set up in 2001, is a development company set up by Homes England, Legal & General and Muse Developments. With initial investment of £100 million, the fund is on track to deliver five schemes in England with a total value of £1.6 billion.

The fund will now double in size to £200 million to target complex, large scale and long term regeneration projects.

It will seek new partnerships with councils, regional authorities and other public sector organisations to deliver mixed-use, residential-led schemes. To date the fund has built 1,300 homes with a further 2,210 homes still in the pipeline. It has delivered 850,000 sq ft of office, retail and leisure space.

Sir Michael Lyons (above), chair of the English Cities Fund, said: “Our cities and towns are the engines of our economy and our cultural and social lives. We must continue to reinvent them in bold and imaginative ways.

“We want to partner with ambitious local authorities and other public bodies who want to attract investment, build homes and support enterprise. Together we can …