Housing minister Grant Shapps has unveiled his plans to encourage developers to build more homes. <br> <br> The government’s New Homes Bonus will see the equivalent of six years council tax paid to local authorities for each home built. Shapps confirmed that developers who gave planning consent and supported new homes would receive “direct and substantial” funding to spend as they saw fit, “whether council tax discounts for local residents or improving local facilities like playgrounds.” <br> <br> Shapps also confirmed that the New Homes Bonus would be introduced early in the spending review period and that a consultation paper on the final scheme would be published following the spending review. <br> <br> Industry has reacted positively overall to the announcement. “The cost of providing services to new households can be a deterrent to cash-strapped local authorities,” said Adam Challis, head of research at residential agent Hamptons International. “These proposals begin to re-align this cost burden with the benefits of new housing supply for the rest of society.” <br> <br> HBF’s executive chairman Stewart Baseley stated that local authorities should take the announcement as the government’s “firm commitment” to developing its future housing and budgetary plans. “It is imperative that …