Thousands of potential homeowners and families are set to benefit from new high-quality homes built on surplus railway land, says Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
On Wednesday (30 July), she is set to unveil a new company, Platform4, to kickstart the delivery of up to 40,000 new homes over the coming decade by transforming surplus land into thriving communities.
Previously, London and Continental Railways Ltd and Network Rail’s Property Team operated independently, each managing different aspects of surplus rail land across the UK. This fragmented approach often led to inefficiencies, duplicated efforts and missed opportunities for strategic development.
Now, Platform4 will bring these two functions, skills and capabilities together in a unified structure to deliver 40,000 homes over the coming decade by disposing of surplus rail land, attracting private investment and accelerating community regeneration. By working together, instead of separately, Platform4 is expected to generate an additional £227 million by delivering at a greater pace and scale.
The company will tackle the challenges associated with building on railway land and will form partnerships with other public sector landowners to make the land more attractive to private developers.
Neighbourhoods in cities including Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Cambridge will be transformed with homes, green spaces, shops and hotels – creating thousands of jobs.
Four sites already earmarked for development include Newcastle Forth Goods Yards, Manchester Mayfield, Cambridge and Nottingham, which together will see over 2,700 new homes delivered and brownfield land transformed into vibrant neighbourhoods:
- Newcastle Forth Goods Yard: opportunity for up to 600 new homes and unlocking additional new homes
- Manchester Mayfield: opportunity for 1,500 new homes
- Cambridge: a mixed-use development with 425 homes
- Nottingham: 200 new homes following 348 successfully delivered homes at The Barnum.
“Our railways are more than just connections between places – they create economic opportunity and drive regeneration,” said Alexander.
“It’s exciting to picture the thousands of families who will live in these future homes, the vibrant neighbourhoods springing up and the new businesses that will launch thanks to these developments.”
Alexander added that Platform4 will breathe new life into these spaces, delivering tens of thousands of new homes as part of the government’s Plan for Change promise to build 1.5 million homes, while reviving communities around rail stations, supporting jobs and driving economic growth.
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