Keir Starmer adds that the cash from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund will allow councils “to cover the cost of decontamination, clearing disused buildings, or improving infrastructure such as internet”.

It will fund 5,200 new home starts across the country, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The move is part of the new government’s drive to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years, compared to 1 million houses that were built over the previous parliament.

Projects that will benefit from the cash will see £2.9m go to Manchester to unlock a vacant brownfield site to build 220 affordable homes.

While £1.4m will go to Northampton to deliver 72 new homes on the site of an old bus depot.

The government’s policy is to build on brownfield land first, but it has said it will also build on green belt land where appropriate. The former Conservative administration had blocked green belt development.

Starmer says: “I said this government is on the side of the builders, not the blockers. And I meant it. This funding for councils will see disused sites and industrial wastelands transformed into thousands of new homes in places that people want to live and work.

“Our brownfield-first approach will not only ramp up housebuilding but also create more jobs, deliver much-needed infrastructure, and boost economic growth across the country.”

However, ASK Partners underlines the scale of the country’s housing shortfall, which by some measures amounts to 4.3 million homes.

The firm’s chief executive and co-founder Daniel Austin says: “The UK urgently needs a comprehensive, long-term housing strategy, and the Autumn Statement presents a critical opportunity to offer much-needed clarity on the UK’s economic direction.

“While the target of building 300,000 homes annually has been a missed government goal since 2004, experts, including Capital Economics, argue that a more ambitious goal of 385,000 homes per year is essential.

Austin points out: “The UK’s housing crisis stems from four key challenges: an over-reliance on major housebuilders, a politicised planning system that stifles development, a net loss of social housing, and post-Brexit labour shortages.

“To overcome these obstacles, revitalising SME housebuilders is crucial. This can be achieved through a mix of incentives, access to small land plots, streamlined planning for brownfield sites, and increased availability of skilled domestic labour.

“Independent planning decisions, combined with private-sector collaboration, would help reduce delays and costs, while lenders offering flexible financing options could further support smaller developers.”