Two new garden towns are to receive £1.1m to help deliver thousands of homes for aspiring homeowners.
Didcot, in Oxfordshire, and North Essex have been chosen for the new towns, which between them are expected to provide up to 50,000 new homes, supported by new infrastructure.
Plans include an extra 15,000 homes built by 2031 in Greater Didcot Garden Town and up to 35,000 new homes in the proposed Garden Communities in North Essex.
The £1.1m government grant will be used to fund the initial work on the schemes.
Housing minister Brandon Lewis said: “I have been really impressed by the level of ambition and vision shown by Didcot and North Essex and their determination to deliver new sustainable communities.
“We are determined to support communities that are eager to boost the number of homes in their areas to meet local need and this money will help get work up and running quicker.”
