A desire to accelerate the supply of affordable housing has prompted the government to expand trials in direct commissioning. Up to 30,000 new homes will be built on five government-owned sites across the UK.

In addition to the former RAF Oakington base in Northstowe, near Cambridge, the government will act as developer on sites in Dover, Chichester, Gosport and Old Oak Common in London. There is already planning permission for all the sites.

The Northstowe pilot was announced in December 2014, where the government’s Homes & Communities Agency is leading the development of 10,000 homes to fast-track the development. The government described the extension of this pilot as ‘a radical new policy shift’ not used on this scale since the early days of the London Docklands Development Corporation in the 1980s.

It said that by directly commissioning the building of homes on publicly owned land rather than selling the land to developers it will result in ‘quality homes built at a faster rate’

It also believes that it will enable smaller building firms to get a bigger slice of the action.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “(The) package signals a huge shift in government policy. Nothing like this has been done on this scale in three decades – government rolling its sleeves up and directly getting homes built.”