A £200m government fund aims to protect the countryside from development by making it easier to build on brownfield sites.

Councils can now bid for government assistance to build thousands of new homes on previously-developed land, says the government.

The criteria for a share of £200m that will help create 10 housing zones on brownfield land where it will be easier to build homes quickly was published on Wednesday (13 August).

The new zones, which will be outside London, should be large enough to deliver 750 to 2,000 properties, and will complement plans for 20 new housing zones in the capital.

Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said housing zones would help councils make the best possible use of previously-developed land so the countryside was safeguarded.

"We need to build more homes in this country, but it's also vital we protect the countryside that people rightly treasure," said Mr Lewis.

He added: "That's why the government is offering councils a share of £200m to prioritise development on brownfield land."

The new dedicated housing zones would transform disused and derelict land, and ensure new homes were built quickly in a more straightforward process for councils and builders.

Councils who team up with developers to apply for funding will need to demonstrate a commitment to build the new homes quickly.

They must also make the most of innovative building and delivery techniques such as off-site construction and custom-build.

Mr Lewis said he wanted bids to consider the example of LoCal homes in Walsall.

It is using off-site construction techniques to build new high-quality, affordable homes in as little as a single day.

Bids should also consider whether housing zone sites can be linked to other government-backed initiatives such as the housing revenue account borrowing programme.

Bidding will formally open on 22 August, when local authorities wishing to submit an application will be able to do so through the Homes and Communities Agency partner portal.

Mr Lewis said councils should follow the government's lead.

Across the country there was enough brownfield land to deliver up to 200,000 new homes.

Increasing levels of housebuilding was a vital part of the government's economic plan and ministers expect to see planning permissions covering 90% of this land to be in place by 2020.

Over 445,000 homes have been built since July 2010, and housing starts are now at their highest level since 2007, says the government.

The construction sector has been growing for the past 14 months, and companies are using this momentum to hire new workers at the fastest rate since records began 17 years ago.