A new report has endorsed the role of Homes England but recommends that the housing body offload Help-to-Buy and building safety responsibilities.
The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) should authorise Homes England to “take more risk” to deliver more impact, according to the Cabinet Office review of the agency.
The 114-page public body review published yesterday reaffirms the crucial role the agency plays as a national public body of scale in place-making across the country, supporting local leaders, affordable housing providers and the private sector to turn housing and regeneration plans from a vision into reality for the benefit of communities.
In the past five years this has included:
+ supporting development of more than 186,400 new homes
+ Unlocking land that could deliver close to 400,000 additional new homes
helping more than 252,500 households into home ownership.
+ The review also recognises the unique expertise, capability and capacity Homes England is already putting to good use in driving delivery and outlines the potential to further expand its master development role in urban and new settlement areas.
Published by the DLUHC, the review is part of the government’s Public Bodies Review Programme, which routinely assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of all arm’s length bodies (ALBs).
Housing secretary Michael Gove said: “The independent report shows Homes England is the right vehicle to deliver more affordable homes and support our plans to regenerate towns and cities across the country.
“I welcome the report and its recommendations and we will work closely with Homes England to finalise an implementation plan. This builds on our long-term plan for housing to further strengthen Homes England’s record of delivery so we can deliver more homes that are affordable, beautiful, and built in the right places.”
Peter Freeman, Homes England chair commented: “I welcome such positive endorsement of the Agency’s efficiency and governance alongside recommendations for both improvement and for developing our mandate and structure.
“Much of this work is already happening. Other recommendations will require changes in partnership with the DLUHC and Treasury, but if progressed could be transformational in how we deliver new homes and create thriving places.
“While there is much to celebrate, we are steadfast in our resolve to always improve, ensuring that we are effective and efficient in driving forward the country’s housing and regeneration ambitions.
Peter Denton, Homes England chief executive added: “I’m proud the review acknowledges the hard work, talent and passion of our staff and partners throughout a challenging time for the market and sector.
“The report makes clear we have a crucial role to play in catalysing local regeneration and housing delivery by using our land, powers, funding and expertise – reducing risk to drive investment and harnessing the potential of private and public sector skills, capital and partnerships. Bringing all of these elements together means we are greater than the sum of our parts as a collective force to deliver effective change.
“Place-based work is central to this mission and well underway in numerous places, from Bradford, Bristol and Birmingham to Newcastle, Liverpool and Plymouth. By 2025 we expect to have entered into six strategic place partnerships with combined authorities, serving a combined population of more than 13million people.”
Reviews…..
You can keep reviewing, studying and examining all you want.
One day we might receive some effectual government that does something.
We are at the point where even the family’s golden retriever knows what has to happen.
You’ve fiddled with the NPPF, you’ve reviewed, assessed and reported endlessly. Yet absolutely sod-all.
Supply isn’t meeting demand. It’s really very very simple. It’s a concept the average 4 year old can understand.
Yet for a decade and a half all we have had is demand side stimulus. You’ve enriched the few and absolutely wrecked homeownership prospects for the many hundreds of thousands.
Here I am, arch capitalist, sounding like a socialist. That’s what the inept housing policy of successive gov’s since 1997 have driven me to.
First we have massive deregulation of lending, followed by H2B, stamp stimulus, and other demand side lines of coke to stay awake.
What the hell is wrong with you all?
Relax planning, time limit options agreements, with a public record of them.
Time limit planning approvals.
Encourage smaller developers into the space.
Supply, this country needs supply.
Not more reviews, not more meaningless ‘we’re looking at it’
Achieve something.
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This countryb does not need more houses killing wildlife and destroying farms in a world where population explosion means future generations will suffer food shortages and very high food costs
What it needs is less people
But do not say that because it is rascist
That is a concept a 4 year old can understand
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Only 8% of the UK is built upon, so not really the issue you make it out to be. you seem to be suggesting a cull. 😉
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You don’t have to build on greenfield sites, you could use brownfield sites but there is no incentive for a developer to do so. Land remediation relief is a joke. You get a break for getting rid of the contamination, but not the cost of then making good again. Development comes down to money. Green sites are cheaper, quicker and easier to develop- less hassle, less cost. Yet another report telling us nothing new, shuffling the pages is not action, its typical look like you are doing something whilst not doing anything at all to change the status quo.
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