The government has unveiled more details around how it intends to overhaul the planning system to accelerate the delivery of 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament.
Mandatory housing targets of 370,000 new homes per annum have been introduced and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has written to every council leader and chief executive in England to make clear that there is “not just a professional responsibility but a moral obligation to see more homes built”.
Rayner has also warned local authorities she will not hesitate to use her powers of intervention should it be necessary – “including taking over an authority’s plan making directly”.
In addition to restoring mandatory housing targets, the method used to calculate them, which relied on old data, will be updated. “The new method will require councils to ensure homes are built in the right places and development is proportionate to the size of existing communities, while adding an extra level of ambition in the most unaffordable areas,” said Rayner.
The first port of call for development will be brownfield land and the reforms will make explicit that the default answer to brownfield development should be “yes”. If needed, councils will have to review their green belt land to meet their own target and identify and prioritise ‘grey belt’ land for development.
Land released in the green belt will be subject to the government’s ‘golden rules’, which make clear that development should deliver 50% affordable homes, increase access to green spaces and ensure the necessary infrastructure is put in place, such as schools and GP surgeries.
This government is also introducing changes to ‘Right to Buy’, giving councils flexibility to use their receipts to build and buy more social homes. Rayner also confirmed that details of future government investment in social and affordable housing will be brought forward at the next spending review, so social housing providers can “plan for the future and help deliver the biggest increase in affordable housebuilding in a generation”.
The government said it will publish NPPF revisions before the end of the year so policy changes can take effect as soon as possible. These changes will be followed by further reforms in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Alongside building the housing the UK needs, the government said it is committed to making it easier to build key infrastructure such as laboratories, gigafactories and data centres, as well as making changes to deliver more large onshore wind projects and solar development across the country.
Industry reaction
Neil Jefferson
CEO, Home Builders Federation
“Today represents the first and most important step ministers have taken in addressing the barriers to delivering new homes. The scale of the government’s housing ambition has given hope to the house building industry that stands ready to increase supply and tackle the country’s housing shortage. The planning system has long failed to provide the amount of land needed to address affordability pressures, but in recent years the elimination of housing targets has led to housing supply plummeting. A reformed, more progressive planning system that requires local authorities to meet their communities’ housing needs is a major step forward to address the barriers to delivery. The housing market is complex and bringing more land through the planning system will help to turn around ailing housing supply provided affordable mortgage finance can be accessed and buyers are able to purchase new homes.”
Victoria Hills
Chief executive, Royal Town Planning Institute
“The proposed changes to our planning system outlined today have the potential to rebuild trust in our planning system. We believe that the government’s goals for housing, energy, and transport can be accomplished through collaboration with planners in both the public and private sectors. It is particularly encouraging to see the government placing a much-needed emphasis on strategic planning, which can help deliver more coherent – not piecemeal – urban expansions by integrating new housing with transportation, energy, and public services. The RTPI will begin consulting our members widely across England immediately to guide our response to the government on these and other important reforms.”
Muyiwa Oki
President, Royal Institute of British Architects
“Well thought through and fundamental reforms to our broken, backlogged planning system are to be welcomed. For too long, the system has been a barrier to quality development and contributed to our national housing shortfall. Much greater emphasis needs to be placed on design quality because, fundamentally, a poorly-designed, unattractive, unsustainable home serves nobody, not least future generations. A shake-up of our decrepit planning system will be vital to our housebuilding revolution. As architects, we now stand ready to act as a critical friend to government, to make sure we get these reforms right, to enable the design and delivery of the next generation of homes our country so desperately needs.”
Kate Henderson
Chief executive, National Housing Federation
“It’s great to see the government place social and affordable housing at the heart of its plans for tackling the housing crisis. We strongly welcome the government’s commitment to reintroducing more ambitious mandatory housing targets, recognising the importance of social rented homes, and to overhauling the planning system, which we have long been calling for. These changes are an important first step to increasing supply, and we agree with the secretary of state that to reach the government’s target of 1.5 million new homes over this parliament, we must significantly increase the supply of social and affordable housing. With the social housing sector facing huge financial pressures due to decades of cuts and rising costs, this can only be achieved through long term funding to rebuild capacity that has been lost. Housing associations are ready to deliver these homes but can only do so with the right support. We look forward to working with government on these changes as part of a nationally coordinated long term plan for housing, with funding at the next spending review, to deliver on our shared ambition to build a generation of new social homes.”
Justin Young
Chief executive, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
“Securing the homes the UK requires, needs more than one solution, and it is encouraging to see many of them addressed today. Setting localised housing targets to ensure that what is needed is built in the right places and with the right infrastructure, and working with local authorities that know their areas better than anyone, will help secure the bold ambitions of government as well as providing jobs and opportunities. Our professionals are at the heart of the built environment, including planning, development, construction, and cost management, and are ready and equipped to help push these changes forward.
“We have been calling for a greenbelt review, and applaud the introduction of clear, golden rules for grey belt. The proposed system of brown, grey, then green, should protect community spaces and secure needed but not unnecessary development. Planning reforms are a pullable policy lever for boosting economic productivity, and legislation that increases housing delivery across tenures, including affordable housing, will move the dial for those in need. We also look forward to working with government to secure the skills needed to make ambitions a reality.”
Ann Carruthers,
President, Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport
“ADEPT welcomes the government’s recognition of the crucial role that the planning system, and planners, can play in delivering the homes, jobs and infrastructure that this country needs to fulfil its growth ambitions. We consider that a proactive, well-resourced planning system is vital to deliver successful sustainable places. We support the re-introduction of universal strategic planning and stand ready to work with the government to deliver the modernisation of the planning system, so that everyone has a warm, safe and affordable home.”
Jan Bessell
Board chair, National Infrastructure Planning Association
“NIPA welcomes this early consultation by government, which will not only help implement its own agenda but also deal with issues that have been experienced with NSIP thresholds and project descriptions over the last few years in relation to water resources and energy generation infrastructure. NIPA looks forward to further infrastructure planning reform and innovation led by government, to facilitate the delivery of much needed national infrastructure and economic growth.”
Andrew Carter
Chief executive, Centre for Cities
“The government is right to put planning reform at the centre of its economic strategy. The UK’s cities have the potential to make a larger contribution to the national economy. Tackling the shortage of housing in and around these cities is a key step towards making them – and the country – more productive. Green belt reform in particular is welcome. The UK’s biggest cities are surrounded by green belts several times their size, constraining the supply of homes for people who live and work in these places.”
Melanie Leech CBE
Chief executive, British Property Federation
“This is an ambitious package of measures, which will not only start to turn the tide on our housing crisis, but also inject some much-needed growth into our economy. We need a multi-tenure approach to tackle the housing crisis which sees social housing, homes for sale, and Build to Rent all firing on all cylinders. We are therefore particularly pleased to see that as part of the revised NPPF, government will double down on encouraging and supporting all sectors to do their bit.”
Paul Brocklehurst
Chairman, Land, Planning and Development Federation
“The new government campaigned on a mandate of reforming the planning system to enable the building of 1.5 million new homes, to deliver the affordable homes we need, and to provide the employment space and infrastructure which is essential to boost our economy. Today, the measures that the government are announcing are the first giant stride in the long walk to achieving that goal. We, and all our members, welcome today’s announcement and will work positively, constructively and tirelessly with government to ensure that the reforms announced today, and those that may come at a later date, enable the mission of boosting economic growth to be achieved.”
Simon Carter
Chief executive officer, British Land
“There is no silver bullet to solve the housing crisis and return the country to long-term sustainable economic growth. The government will need to deploy a range of tools to do this. The changes to national policy announced today are an important first step to put us back on the path to growth, combining targeted approach to green belt release, while reaffirming the presumption in favour of brownfield development, enabling viable development across a mix of tenures, and giving greater weight to critical infrastructure delivery in strategically important sectors, such as science and technology and renewables. As a business, we have consistently advocated for practical, deliverable planning reforms, to ensure faster, more reliable planning decisions, and welcome the other measures announced today to improve performance and decision-making and provide a more predictable planning service across the country.”
Mark Allan
Chief executive, Landsec
“This is an extensive set of measures which tackle many of the issues we face within the planning system. I am particularly pleased to see the increased focus on brownfield land and the recognition of the role mixed use and commercial development plays in driving economic growth and housing delivery. It is now up to our industry and our partners in local government to rise to this challenge and maximise the opportunities presented by development. Not only by delivering homes and growth, but also by ensuring that growth works to unlock opportunities for people across the country.“
Rob Perrins
Chief executive, Berkeley Homes
“Berkeley strongly supports the government’s mission to build 1.5 million new homes and welcome the steps taken today to begin reform of the planning system. Ministers have challenged industry to do more and Berkeley is determined to play our full part. We have therefore today laid out plans for how we can start an additional 10,000 private and affordable homes over the next five years. These plans include accelerating work on our current long-term sites, securing new deliverable planning permissions, investing over £1bn into a new 4,000 home build-to-rent programme, and returning to the land market having not bought a new site for more than two and a half years. As with the government’s mission for housing this plan is ambitious but achievable. When all levels of government work in partnership with industry we can move at pace, and deliver more of the good green homes people need.”
António Simões
Group CEO, Legal & General
“We need a fit for purpose planning system to get the economy growing, and particularly to ensure that local communities have the homes, services, and infrastructure they need. This package of reforms is an opportunity to get millions of pounds worth of projects moving, with real world impact on housing quality and availability, infrastructure, and growth industries. It will also ensure that policies to drive pensions capital into productive assets have maximum benefit on the ground, and on savers’ returns.”
Nigel Hugill
Chief executive, Urban&Civic
“Recent experience is that setting clear targets for each local planning authority is absolutely fundamental to lifting housing numbers. Equally, the wholehearted embracing of a mix of tenures is also to be applauded. Accelerating residential delivery will require the full range of housing providers to contribute. In all instances, homes rent faster than they sell, so we have to harness more than just the major housebuilders.”
Helen Gordon
Chief executive, Grainger
“It is positive to see the Labour government hit the ground running with today’s housing and planning reform proposals which is an important first step in achieving their target of delivering 1.5m new homes. In particular, the emphasis of a multi-tenure approach, where councils will need to determine and plan for local housing need for home ownership, private rental and affordable homes, is very welcome. Today’s proposals will support our plans to develop over 5,000 new homes, and our ambitions to go well beyond this.”
Rick de Blaby
Chief executive, Get Living
“An effective and efficient planning system is absolutely critical to providing new high quality homes of all tenures and supporting vital infrastructure. For too long the planning system has been a drag on delivery, affecting both investor appetite and crippling supply in areas that desperately need new homes for sale and rent. The new government has recognised this and wasted no time in putting forward solutions. The country needs a simplified approach to planning that not only removes existing barriers but has an expanded understanding of the types of homes, neighbourhoods and infrastructure needed. We welcome the government’s decision to make planning policy a priority and the revised NPPF will pave the way for the provision of the high-quality homes the country urgently needs to alleviate our current housing and rental crisis. A fit for purpose planning system will unlock investment, grow local economies and give people a choice of where to live.”
Mark Allnutt
Executive director – Europe, Greystar
“As a major investor in UK residential property, we have long been supportive of measures to unlock the planning system, which are essential for economic growth and should provide certainty for institutional investors. Restoring housing targets and taking steps to increase land supply, while prioritising brownfield and ‘grey belt’ land for development, are important steps the build- to-rent sector welcomes. We look forward to working with both the UK government and local authorities to deliver the additional housing supply the country needs across a full range of housing tenures including affordable homes.”
Michael Kiely
Chair of the board, Planning Officers Society
“The new government has kept to its promise to revise the NPPF before the summer recess. I am looking forward to reading what changes Angela and her team have made to enable the planning system to meet housing need and deliver economic growth through the creation of sustainable development.”
Marc Vlessing
Chair, Pocket Living
“The changes announced within the draft revised NPPF are certainly a welcome strong step in the right direction in this new government’s attempt to get more homes built. But they are only a step as we await the more radical thinking that will be needed to achieve this uplifted target of 370,000 homes per year. Thinking such as mass public land release, CPO reform, and special powers for new development corporations. In the meanwhile, the focus on creating a more permissive planning regime to unlock small brownfield sites is to be welcomed and is a call we have been leading on for nearly three years. Such a policy could unlock hundreds of thousands of new affordable homes across England without costing the Treasury a penny. We also need to be clear on the type of affordable homes we need to build. Yes, to more social rent, but that should not be at the expense of affordable homes to buy given Labour’s commitment to becoming the party of homeownership.”
Barry Jessup
Managing director, Socius
“Labour is right to put planning reform at the heart of its plan for growth but changes to the NPPF should not focus on housebuilding alone. To create vibrant and sustainable places we need to deliver jobs, local infrastructure and community amenities as well as much-needed homes of all tenures. To allow developers to be more creative in bringing forward urban, mixed-use schemes we need less restrictive national policy and building regulations, as well as greater flexibility across use classes so that we can deliver adaptable and multi-use buildings. Alongside this, there must be long-term commitment to boosting planning resources and skills to reduce delays and ensure departments are fully equipped to make increasingly complex judgments.”
Simon Farnsworth
Managing director, Life Science REIT
“Life sciences is a flagship UK growth industry and the promise from our new government to make it easier to build labs across the country is an important and welcome one. With the delivery of new homes and supporting infrastructure largely dominating the National Planning Policy Framework, today’s commitment around labs and digital infrastructure suggests that Labour is alert to the potential of this industry to drive economic growth. The country is in desperate need of a simplified approach to planning. If we are to realise our ambition of becoming a scientific superpower, it is critical we have purpose-built and high quality space available, with access to power, that meets the sector’s evolving needs and requirements. The next step is for the government to provide more detail on how they will help accelerate the delivery of this space.”
Colin Brown
Head of planning & development, Carter Jonas
“We welcome the thrust of the deputy prime minister’s announcement today on planning reform. In particular, we support the return of mandatory housing targets and the emphasis on delivery in areas where affordability issues are at their most acute. It is positive to see that local authorities will be obliged to deliver the housing that is needed in their areas, and while we support the fact that they can decide how to do this, we are pleased to see they will not have the ability to duck the issue simply because they choose to. We also welcome the determination to deliver sustainable patterns of development, and to carry out a strategic review of the green belt in the many instances where there is insufficient brownfield land or non-green belt greenfield land in order to achieve the housing targets. We look forward to studying and further understanding the definition and approach to the so-called grey belt, but firmly believe there will be a need for balanced green belt releases to attempt to meet the highly ambitious housing targets.”
Philip Allin
Director, Boyer
“At the dispatch box today, Angela Rayner set out the ambitious programme for delivering the government’s ‘decade of renewal’. Much of the detail will follow, initially in planned changes to the NPPF culminating in the publication of a long term housing strategy in the coming months. Whilst the anticipated changes are no secret the nature and language both seek to underline the significant shift underway and more muscular nature of the government’s new approach. Many of the aims are familiar (e.g. requirement for universal local plan coverage). However, the tools with which this is to be achieved differ markedly from that of the previous government. How already stretched planning authorities will deliver these objectives will remain to be seen. However, these announcements are most welcome and will hopefully result in the new infrastructure and increased housebuilding that the country desperately needs.”
Alistair Watson
UK head of planning and environment, Taylor Wessing
“With this announcement the government seems to mark the end of the politicisation of the planning system at a local level. Or to put it another way; the central government’s control to ensure planning delivery and avoid planning anarchy, all for the greater good of the country, is back. The three-step approach makes complete sense and is common sense: brownfield first and that gets a ‘yes.’ Then grey belt, and then elsewhere. And the government does not yet go far enough. The real estate sector is going to be stretched to deliver all of this development. We do still need more investment in the workforce – overseas workers where required – as well as both the policy support and a reformed statutory regime from the government.”
Jason Lowes
Partner, Rapleys
“Angela Rayner’s confirmation that the revised NPPF is, as expected, focused on a ‘pro-building’ planning stance and provides further guidance on ‘grey belt’, land that is in the green belt but isn’t green. This is likely to be controversial in the shires, but has been welcomed by many industry figures, in the interests of delivering more housing, which is of course rightly a priority. The commitment to delivering digital infrastructure, not least data centres, is welcome albeit there was a apparent lack of focus on employment land. As such, we will be looking closely at any specific provisions for other land uses where demand is in excess of requirements, not least logistics and land for mixed use development. Above all, we need to reconcile local considerations with the pressing need for development across the UK and tackle areas where anti-development pressures can play an over balanced role in housing decisions.”
Andy Hulme
Chief executive, The Hyde Group
“The planning reforms the new government has put forward are a welcome step towards building the social and affordable homes the country needs. Reintroducing local housing targets gives a clear evidence-based marker of the scale of need for new homes in communities and will support getting building going. For decades there’s been a sustained undersupply of new homes, and this has been particularly acute for social housing. Public funding for new social homes fell to meeting just 15% of build costs, down from £9 in every £10 coming from government funding in the 1990s. The consequence of such a drop-off in government funding means the country is building less than a fifth of the social homes we were building 30 years ago. At a time when we have record numbers of homeless children living in temporary accommodation, we absolutely need to boost the building of the most affordable types of homes. It’s something we’re playing our part in at Hyde, where we’re currently building thousands of homes across London and the South East.”
John Glenton
Executive director, Riverside
“We are encouraged to see this administration taking on the challenge of planning reform to help build the homes and infrastructure the country needs. The data does not lie. England is the most difficult place to find a home in the developed world and as a result England also has the highest proportion of people overburdened by the cost of housing. One of the impacts of this acute housing crisis is that we now have a record number of homeless children and households (145,800 children and 112,660 households) living in temporary accommodation. This is creating a humanitarian crisis behind closed doors and a financial crisis in town halls and city halls the length and breadth of England. A housing and homelessness crisis like this cannot be allowed to continue.”
Tom Pike
Director of planning, Lanpro
“Angela Rayner’s statement to MPs relating to national planning policy included many headlines, yet the success of the direction will hinge on the detail set out in the consultation document when it is published. A directive to plan for 370,000 new homes will certainly assist with reducing the historic under supply. However, will the transitional arrangements that will almost certainly be included allow for such an acceleration, or will councils which have advanced a local plan under the previous arrangements be allowed to continue? Further, will the definition of the grey belt included in the consultation document be substantially different from the existing definition of previously developed land? If not, the prospects of a significant uplift in supply from this source may be more limited.”
Matthew Evans
Counsel in the planning team, Forsters
“Updating the NPPF was always going to be the lever the Labour government could quickly pull to implement changes to the planning system. The proposed changes to the NPPF show that the government recognises that the planning system has become a barrier to delivery and fundamental change is needed to unlock investment and create a more development friendly environment. The re-introduction of mandatory housing targets, an increased focus on local plan making and enforcement and a commitment to the 13-week decision timetable are all helpful in ensuring the right development is delivered in the right places. The government now wants to put the onus on the industry to bring forward the schemes to cater to the obvious demand.”
Josie Parsons
CEX, Local Space
“With the highest number of children living in temporary accommodation since records began 20 years ago and homelessness putting many councils, especially within London, under huge financial pressure, we strongly welcome today’s commitment to delivering far more social housing as part of the drive to get Britain building the homes we need. As a housing charity providing accommodation for those facing homelessness, we see on a daily basis the impact that this lack of social housing supply is having, with 1.3 million waiting for council homes.”
Fergus Charlton
Partner, Michelmores
“Increasing the housing targets combined with pressure to produce new local plans should result in more housing allocated sites. Allocated sites ought to have an easier ride through the planning system, meaning increased certainty. But if local plans are not updated there will be disconnect between the allocation housing numbers in the out-of-date local plans and the new mandated targets. That will encourage developers to appeal planning refusals. Identifying sites for allocation will put pressure on recipient local communities and the green belt, so increasing the housing targets will be controversial.”
Sean Keyes
CEO, Sutcliffe
“I am encouraged to see that the new government is addressing the need for more social housing with a real sense of urgency. Today’s announcement from the deputy prime minister and secretary of state for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, is a promising step forward. The plan to increase the number of new homes from 300,000 a year to 370,000 a year, is hugely promising. Unlike the previous government who made housing targets advisable, I am pleased to see that this new target is mandatory. This initiative not only aims to improve the quality of life for millions, but also address the shortfall in social housing. The proposed 13-week target for processing planning decisions is very crucial, and may be unrealistic, however, this will be a decisive factor in whether house builders can meet these ambitious targets.
Olivia Harris
Chief executive, Dolphin Living
“The announcement by Angela Rayner is certainly a major step in the right direction, especially on the need to build more affordable housing in high housing cost areas such as London. In order that this housing benefits as many people as possible it is vital that all affordable tenure types are delivered, not just social rent although that is clearly needed. It is imperative that the government also considers the needs of those ineligible for social housing yet unable to afford market rents and we will certainly be making that case as part of our consultation response.”
Adrian Plant
Director, SOWN
“It is encouraging to hear in Angela Rayner’s statement that the government will address housing affordability by significantly increasing the housebuilding programme. More specifically, the increase in social and affordable housing is very welcome at a time when an increasing number of people are unable to get onto the first rung of the ladder. But the blanket omission of shared ownership from any recent announcement – the Labour manifesto, Planning and Infrastructure Bill and today’s statement is, I believe, a mistake. We are seeing ever-increasing demand for shared ownership among an increasingly wide demographic. The beauty of shared ownership is that it does not necessarily require government subsidy, but it does require government support both in requiring shared ownership through policy and promoting shared ownership through government-assisted marketing.
Honor Barratt
CEO, Birchgrove
“Angela Rayner’s plans for how Labour intends to increase housebuilding are laudable. However, we believe part of the solution to the housing crisis is making better use of the homes we already have. There has been a lot of focus on the need for affordable homes in Labour’s announcements so far. But this country has a similarly pressing issue with the lack of housing suitable for seniors. We note that today’s announcement mentions support for mixed use sites that comprise a variety of ownership and rental tenures. We hope senior living will be a significant part of this mix. Senior housing needs to be moved up the political agenda as it’s a key part of the solution to this country’s housing crisis. Two thirds of over-65s have at least two empty spare bedrooms in their home, which equates to nine million empty bedrooms every night. A significant number of these people would move to smaller properties if more suitable senior living was widely available. This would free up many larger properties and have a knock-on effect on the entire housing market.
Jo Davis
Principal, managing director place, UK executive chair at Avison Young
“We welcome the reversal of the NPPF changes proposed in December 2023. It is crucial to now have a period of planning policy stability to rebuild confidence and trust in the planning process, which is essential to shaping and delivering the government’s commitment to addressing the housing crisis. The much-anticipated definition of the ‘grey belt’ and the reintroduction of mandatory housing targets will grab immediate headlines. However, the details will drive delivery – the tightening of language, moving away from “as much of its housing need as possible” and utilising housing stock data rather than household projections to calculate need will lead to a different distribution of housing growth across England. This presents an opportunity to place new homes in locations with the most acute need. For example, the new housing needs calculation for the Southwest has seen its proposed housing numbers increase from 28,203 annually to 40,343 annually, an increase of over 12,000 homes or more than 40%.”
Iain Painting
Planning director, Stantec
“Some may question the value of introducing the new, higher, 370,000 annual housing target when the previous target was never met – but this would be to misunderstand the impact a strengthened target and wider reforms could have. Combined with making the targets mandatory, it will drive development plan policy response and allocations and in the short term, support the promotion of departure applications, for example where local plans are out of date. There will be much discussion around the significant changes to the definition of ‘inappropriate development in the green belt’, and how this could play out during applications and appeals. This will be a vital area for consultation with the sector over the coming weeks, and this may not be the wording that appears in the final version.”
Nicola Gooch
Planning partner, Irwin Mitchell
“The consultation proposals and the written ministerial statement set out a comprehensive and, in some instances radical, direction of travel for planning and development. The goal is sustainable economic growth, and both MHCLG and the Treasury are on a mission to deliver it through the planning system. There is a lot to like in these proposals. The return of strategic planning, and the recognition that planning is about more than housing are long overdue. The fact that Labour is not taking forward the Infrastructure Levy – as set out in LURA – is fantastic news. It takes a lot for every single public and private sector industry body to agree that a new policy initiative is a terrible idea – but the Infrastructure Levy met that threshold.”
Dr Paul Hanna
Associate director, Hoare Lea
“With Labour’s ambition for 1.5 million homes, the sector must do a better job in communicating the social impact and wider benefits of development. Ensuring the public is well-informed and creating spaces for dialogue with the sector will prove key if we are to create truly collaborative planning practices which shift perceptions, mitigate opposition and remove the taboo of the green belt. At present, social value is not being adequately accounted for during planning and as a result, local communities are being denied the additional social benefits that would otherwise accrue if developers focused on the wider contribution a development can bring. Meaningful co-creation with residents, based on ‘nothing about us, without us’ principle is essential. That could include developing collaborative options for community-led stewardship, land trusts, housing, energy projects and partnerships; solutions which add long-term sustainable value through localised wealth building and aid social mobility.”
Haman Manak
Procurement director, Stanmore
“It’s a relief to see that the government has kept its promise to revise the NPPF and improve the pace at which we have been building homes. For far too long, developers have had to jump through hoops in order to build housing. The construction sector is pivotal to the UK’s economy, and boosting activity within the industry is a non-negotiable if Labour wants to achieve growth. To be successful, these planning reforms must unlock new land across Britain and drive activity in all areas of the country. Revising the NPPF is key to achieving this activity, but we mustn’t be complacent. There are other issues which need tackling, namely the construction worker shortage. The government must consider all of the issues that the sector is facing if they are to meet their targets. I hope that these plans represent a new dawn for housebuilding in the UK. This announcement is a great start, now execution will be key.”
Jonathan Parker
Development director, Pagabo
“The answer to the housing crisis lies in adopting a place-based approach, focusing on holistic development that includes both social housing and commercial assets. Successful examples of such development demonstrate significant benefits – both in terms of economy and social value. For local authorities, choosing their development partners wisely will be the key to overall success, so a compliant and secure procurement process is highly recommended. This provides the local authority with the developer most suitable to make the partnership a success, but also comes with the added compliance and transparency that proper procurement processes provide – and indeed are championed even more in the forthcoming Procurement Act.”
Nikki Davies
CEO, Meeting Place
“Whilst the opportunity for the sector is significant, Labour’s plans to ‘meet the housing need in full’ will require a comprehensive shift in mindset for communities across the UK, which will no doubt prove worrying for many. A clear commitment to – and tangible demonstration of – social impact will enhance community trust whilst ensuring developments reflect the genuine aspirations of local residents. Once this community need has been properly established, we must find and motivate the silent majority’s broad support for future development. The delivery of these homes will become far more palatable when that support has been demonstrated and local authorities have acknowledged the aspirations of the communities they serve.”
Brendan Geraghty
CEO, The Association for Rental Living (ARL)
