More than 20 bids have been made by local authorities to accommodate extra housing growth, in return for a share of a £40M pot of infrastructure funding. A total of 80,000 extra homes would be secured by 2016 if all the proposals went ahead, but some faced major transport and environmental hurdles, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The response, from 50 local authorities, to the Government’s ‘new growth points initiative,’ was deemed encouraging by secretary of state, Ruth Kelly. Launched in response to the Barker review’s call for increased house-building rates, the initiative aims to promote ‘exemplars of sustainable development’. ‘This is about strengthening the economic potential of communities, hand-in-hand with the necessary infrastructure and raising environmental standards,’ Kelly said. A list of 19 of the bids – some covering several towns or cities – was published last week. The Southeast and Southwest accounted for more than two-thirds, while a further three came from the Eastern region. The Government will announce the approved schemes in October, following consultations and regional planning assessments. Some of the areas awarded growth point status will receive a share of the funding earmarked for a first round of early site infrastructure projects, to unlock sites for development and improve the environment.