More than three quarters of planning committee members surveyed said the government’s 1.5 million homes target is “unachievable,” according to the results of a new survey.
Skills shortages within the construction industry was identified as the primary reason for the anticipated failure, followed by land banking by developers. Just 3% of the 485 respondents said the planning system itself “cannot cope”.
Planning committee members taking part in this year’s survey also raised concerns about the return to mandatory housing targets, with 63% opposed to this move and 73% objecting to how targets were calculated using existing housing stock.
Over 90% said the housing crisis has worsened, with 77% categorising it as “severe”, leading the report to conclude that there is a “significant disconnect between national policy ambitions and the realities faced by those on the front lines of planning and delivery”.
Perry Miller, head of advocacy local at SEC Newgate, said: “Councillors are very clear that addressing the root causes of the failure to build enough homes is essential if the housing crisis is to be meaningfully addressed and the government is to achieve its ambitious housing target.”
What are the biggest challenges to housing delivery?
68%
Slow build-out by developers
58%
Lack of funding for affordable housing
55%
Community opposition to schemes
47%
Lack of suitable sites in local area
45%
Resourcing issues in the planning team
29%
Submitted schemes do not align with the character of local area
27%
Policy constraints .e.g. Green Belt
23%
Lack of up-to-date Local Plan
23%
Slow response from statutory consultees
19%
Submitted schemes are not in the Local Plan
18%
Insufficient communication between key parties in the planning policy
18%
Lack of schemes coming forward
17%
Submitted schemes are not compliant with planning policy
16%
Other
3%
Not applicable: housing delivery is on target in my authority area
2%
Respondents could select more than one answer
I’ve been writing responses to this stuff for six years;
Time limit option agreements with a public register of them. Encourage competition among developers. Including the smaller developers.
Time limit planning approvals. Time limit to start, time limit to 50%, and time limit to finish. With powers to CPO land, or portions of land not finished.
Incentivise all house builders. Tax breaks for building ‘X’ percent more homes than the year before.
We’ve had supply of labour, and skills reduce over twenty years as completed build numbers have reduced. Now we don’t have the supply chain to repaidly upscale. There will have to be some incentive now to promote higher buildouts.
So, tax breaks on the uplift. Target something like 20% increase per annum. Applying to all developers. Even those who can show they only built 4 last year. BIG tax break on each year’s uplift. We’ll need the house builders to pay for the training of the tradespeople we will need.
Every PP granted for sites over 500 units (including where the original plot is later modified to become over 500….) to have 1 home that will be handed back to council ownership. For council rent. Councils banned from selling these properties for at least twenty years. Slowly adding to council stocks once more.
No stimulus to mortgage lending. No artificial intervention. Mortgage lending multiples and terms to be fixed. Set by BOE, reviewed every five years. All other facets open to competition.
Transfer Stamp to either 50/50 liability, with the calculations remaining the same. Or frankly seller pays the stamp duty. Including new builds. Which would level out some of the bonkers gains of the last ten years. Yes, it’s be a shock to the market, but in a market that is as slow as right now. With big ticket properties falling already, it’ll quickly find it’s level. We have a lack of liquidity. Wheels need greasing, however the UK needs the revenue. Stamp can’t be scrapped, but those going up the ladder can’t afford it. Those coming down, can.
No mortgage or stamp stimulus. Let the free market set the prices.
Next, reservation agreements. And a proper structure with sure timeframes for conveyancing. Simple mandated timescales for the stressful end. Ensuring gazundering is wiped out, and last minute fall-throughs are reduced to a thing of the past. Possibly more importantly bring the prospect of moving back as something to enjoy, rather than dread. Which is what it is right now. Many won’t move, because they dread how stressful it would be.
Bring back a HIPS equivalent. Have sellers become far more sale ready, at the outset. Properties to be far more proceed-able, far more quickly than now.
Oh, and where is Atomic Settlement BOE? Moving day woes have caused catastrophic damage to moving companies over decades. You’ll need movers in a better market. You don’t have them, and won’t have them unless the employment conditions improve.
The only improvement needed in order to recruit is atomic settlement. Conveyancers have proven over decades they can’t be trusted to complete and have keys released timely. These chickens are coming home to roost. Don’t let it become a huge problem, quickly.
We are, right now in a rebalancing market. Now is the time to make major changes.
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