The latest market insight from London’s largest lettings and sales estate agent brand*, Foxtons, has revealed that London’s much loved parks are attracting house price premiums of 53% compared to the wider market average, with Green Park home to the highest premium of the lot. Foxtons analysed current market data looking
Plymouth City Council is leading a new housing project on the outskirts of the city, where 500 modern, energy-efficient homes will be built on land off Stoggy Lane in Plympton, including 150 affordable units. Also in the plans is new wetland greenspace, up to 2,000 new trees and a financial
Five more projects have been awarded over £57 million from the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF). These projects, integral to comprehensive urban renewal plans, will provide sustainable, low carbon heat to 17,000 new homes, commercial spaces, and public buildings, contributing to vibrant, future-proofed communities. Expected to save over 385,000
Liverpool City Council is set to seek a development partner to help transform a prime waterfront spot into Liverpool’s newest residential community. A report to Cabinet on Tuesday, 10 September, is recommending the Council embarks on a competitive procurement exercise to appoint a high calibre development partner to lead on
Downsizers are helping to ease the housing crisis by putting an average of 343,000 bedrooms a year back onto the UK housing market, according to new data analysis from over-50’s property specialists, Quickmove Properties, Quickmove Properties has estimated how many property sales downsizers accounted for in the UK in 2023* and,
The planning submission for Phase Two of the re-development of the Tustin Estate in south-east London has been submitted. Planned in four phases, the whole scheme includes 250 replacement council homes and shared equity properties for returning leaseholders, 220 additional council homes for social rent and keyworker homes, along with
The City of Edinburgh Council marked the start of construction on a new affordable housing development with a ceremonial sod-cutting event on Thursday (15 August). Council Leader Cammy Day was joined by Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden and architects Smith Scott Mullan as work got underway on the development
Urgent regulatory reform required to support crucial sector in midst of national housing emergency The challenges faced by small and medium sized home builders and the need for urgent regulatory reform to get this crucial part of the Scottish housing market growing again are being spotlighted this week with
An industry expert is urging the new government to ensure it includes the development and prioritisation of retrofit training and knowledge as part of its focus on skills. The call follows the King’s announcement earlier this month of the Skills Bill designed to bring together local and national government, business,
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has expressed support for Government’s steps to tackle the constraints of housing delivery in an industry statement published recently. The statement, which has been signed by more than 30 home builders, comes in response to the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Raynor’s statement in the House
The latest market insight from London’s largest lettings and sales estate agent brand*, Foxtons, has revealed that London’s much loved parks are attracting house price premiums of 53% compared to the wider market average, with Green Park home to the highest premium of the lot. Foxtons analysed current market data looking at house prices in each of the postcodes straddling 13 of London’s biggest and best parks to reveal just how much a park adjacent property purchase will cost you in the capital*, before comparing this to the average price across the wider boroughs in which these postcodes are located to reveal what premiums a park house purchase commands in the current market. The research shows that, on average, purchasing a property close to one of London’s best parks will set you back £802,422 – that’s a premium of 53% when compared to the current average London house price of £523,134. In fact, all but two of the 13 parks analysed by Foxtons commanded a house price premium for those looking to purchase within walking distance of green space, with Green Park in Westminster topping the table. Straddled by the W1J and SW1A postcodes, the average price of a property surrounding Green Park comes in at £1.48m. While the wider borough of Westminster boasts an average house price of £954,279, this means that properties close to Green Park still command a premium of 55% in the current market. Battersea Park is home to the second highest park property premium across the capital, with the average price of a home across the SW11, SW3 and SW8 postcodes sitting at £927,098 – 50% higher than the wider borough of Wandsworth. Kensington Gardens is home to the third highest premium at 40% and with an average house price of £1.5m across its surrounding postcodes, it’s also home to the highest average house price of all 13 parks analysed by Foxtons. However, there are two London parks where surrounding property prices come in at a more affordable level versus the wider boroughs in which they are found. A property within the four postcodes surrounding Bushy Park in Richmond will cost you an average of £597,543 in the current market – -19% below the wider average of £737,024 for the borough of Richmond. The average price of a home in postcodes surrounding Crystal Palace park is also some -14% more affordable than the average found across the four boroughs it sits within. Foxtons CEO, Guy Gittins, commented: “London’s parks are an iconic part of the city’s landscape and they also provide vital green space for those who live and work within the city to relax and unwind, especially when the sun comes out. This is vital as it provides them with a place to get out of the house, exercise, meet with friends and family, or simply get some fresh air. All of which are important when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Of course, this makes them a desirable feature in the eyes of the capital’s buyers and, as a result, properties within close proximity to one of the capital’s best parks don’t come cheap. As our research shows, all but two of London’s best parks boast healthy house price premiums when compared to the wider boroughs in which they are found”. Sources and data tables *Foxtons is London’s No.1 estate agency brand based on TwentyCi data, 2023 v 2022 market share and market share growth of New Instructions at a brand level. *Foxtons is the UK’s fastest growing sales agent in the top 10 agents based on TwentyCi data of market share and market share growth of New Instructions at a brand level 2023 v 2022, growing by 28% year on year. Foxtons is the UK’s fastest growing lettings agent in the top 10 agents based on TwentyCi data of market share and market growth of New Instructions at a brand level 2023 v 2022, growing by over 35% year on year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plymouth City Council is leading a new housing project on the outskirts of the city, where 500 modern, energy-efficient homes will be built on land off Stoggy Lane in Plympton, including 150 affordable units. Also in the plans is new wetland greenspace, up to 2,000 new trees and a financial contribution towards a new sports hub at Boringdon. Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, will present the plans to his cabinet colleagues when they meet on Monday 9 September. In advance of the meeting, Chris said: “I’m pleased to be able to talk about this venture, which has been long in the planning. “Plymouth, like so many other cities in the UK, is in the midst of a national housing crisis and one of the obvious solutions to this is to build more houses. That’s exactly what we’re doing here. “The Stoggy Lane development is certainly ambitious, but we owe it to the hundreds of households on the housing waiting list to make big decisions like this and provide answers to the problems.” The land at Stoggy Lane, which is designated for housing in the Joint Local Plan, is currently unutilised farmland with no formal public access. It is owned by Plymouth City Council but falls within the boundary of South Hams District Council. Working with South Hams, Plymouth City Council has produced a master plan for the homes ready to apply for planning permission. Before that, though, a thorough public consultation on the scheme is expected to begin in September, featuring information sessions to allow residents to learn more and feedback on the plans. That data will then be fed into a final design before a final planning application is submitted in Spring 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Five more projects have been awarded over £57 million from the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF). These projects, integral to comprehensive urban renewal plans, will provide sustainable, low carbon heat to 17,000 new homes, commercial spaces, and public buildings, contributing to vibrant, future-proofed communities. Expected to save over 385,000 tonnes of CO2, these networks will help to ensure that urban developments lead the way in sustainable living[1]. This investment demonstrates the UK’s commitment to modernising its urban areas for resilience, sustainability and future regulations, whilst helping to deliver the Government’s mission of clean power by 2030 and accelerate plans towards net zero. Heat networks present a fantastic opportunity to expand access to low carbon heating and provide a cost-effective solution for decarbonising dense urban areas. The funding will also help new developments to meet mandated requirements under the Future Homes and Buildings Standard, as the Government seeks to improve the energy efficiency of new buildings. By using a range of innovative low carbon heat sources, these networks will ensure that new residents benefit from reduced heating bills and lower carbon footprints. Today, GHNF is providing over £57 million to support the commercialisation and construction of five heat network projects connecting to major developments: Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “Building new, greener heat networks is just one of the ways we are investing in clean power, helping to finally secure our country’s energy independence. These exciting new projects will see thousands of homes and businesses benefit from cleaner, low-cost heating – leading to lower energy bills and creating hundreds of jobs.” Ken Hunnisett, Programme Director, said: “The Green Heat Network Fund, like the Heat Networks Investment Project before it, has helped to prove the technical and commercial efficacy of district heating in a variety of different use cases. The projects announced today are a reminder that modern heat networks are at their brilliant best in our large, densely built towns and cities. The £57 million investment announced today is great news for the Fund, great news for the 17,000 homes and buildings that will benefit from low-carbon, low-cost heating, great news for an industry that is growing almost before our eyes, and great news for the planet. It’s a relative drop in the ocean of course when you consider the £80 billion the sector is forecast to require if it is to fulfil its enormous potential.” Below is a summary of the projects each receiving a share of £57 million to support: Leeds South Bank (£24.5 million commercialisation and construction funding). Extending the highly successful LeedsPIPES project which received funding from HNIP to construct a heat network utilising waste heat from a Recycling and Energy Recovery facility, Leeds will receive a further £24.5 million for the South Bank extension. The original LeedsPIPES project connected over 1,900 homes and non-domestic buildings to the energy-from-waste (EfW) scheme, whilst helping to employ over 400 people. The South Bank extension is located in one of Europe’s largest brownfield regeneration sites. Funded by GHNF, the scheme will connect an additional 16km of pipework to the heat network for up to 8,000 new residents and mixed-use customers, across 28 buildings, representing the most significant investment to the project since its inception. The project will support an additional 81 new jobs across the heart network sector, and 16 apprenticeship positions. GHNF is also supporting the connection into two new low carbon EfW heat sources, providing a total of 30GWh of waste heat per year to both residential and non-domestic buildings across Leeds. John Lewis, Head of Building Engineering (UK and Ireland) at AECOM, said: “Heat networks will play a critical role in facilitating the UK hitting its 2050 net zero target, providing energy-efficient heat to support new and existing communities. With more and more local authorities developing heat networks, Leeds’ PIPES network and this latest extension into the South Bank area will continue to act as a flagbearer for how our cities can operate more sustainably. The city is ahead of the curve in developing a rapidly expanding heat network and we are delighted that this extension will not only supply low carbon heat to a host of new customers but will also further decarbonise the existing heat network and facilitate its growth. The AECOM team has been leading the technical design of this key infrastructure to support Leeds City Council’s ambition to transform and regenerate South Bank. We’re delighted our work will enable a resilient, low carbon energy platform for local communities.” Brent Cross (Over £14 million commercialisation and construction). Brent Cross Town is a major regeneration scheme in London providing 6,700 new homes, workspace for 25,000 people, a new high street, new buildings for three schools, extensive sport and leisure facilities, set alongside 50 acres of green space and supported by the recently opened Brent Cross West mainline station. GHNF is awarding £14 million of construction and commercialisation funding for Brent Cross Town’s heat network, supporting the project to become net zero carbon by 2030. Low carbon heat will be generated through a fully electric energy centre and supplied to all 6,700 residential properties, and commercial and leisure buildings. The network, enabled by GHNF funding, will meet the town’s demand of 30MW of heat and 20MW of cooling peak capacities. Alongside providing affordable low carbon heat, the project is expected to create 121 new long-term jobs whilst supporting a range of new apprentices. The scheme is being developed as a joint venture between Related Argent and Barnet Council. André Gibbs, Executive Director at Related Argent, said: “The Green Heat Network Fund allocated to Brent Cross Town will help make our ambition to achieve low carbon district heating across the whole of the development a reality. This will also include low carbon cooling to offices in the 25,000-workspace business and innovation district. When complete, Brent Cross Town will have one of the largest fully electric energy centres in Europe, developed in partnership with Vattenfall. This network points to the future of how the
Liverpool City Council is set to seek a development partner to help transform a prime waterfront spot into Liverpool’s newest residential community. A report to Cabinet on Tuesday, 10 September, is recommending the Council embarks on a competitive procurement exercise to appoint a high calibre development partner to lead on creating a new neighbourhood as part of the city’s famous International Festival Gardens site, which was originally opened in May 1984. The ambition is to significantly boost the city’s housing supply with a diverse range and mix of housing types, including affordable properties, together with local amenities, creating a thriving new community in this prime south Liverpool location, which is well connected and within 10-minutes of the city centre. The scheme, which is a flagship project outlined in the city’s draft housing strategy, will connect with and enhance its natural surroundings and biodiversity and provide a high standard of desirable and multi-generational living for all. Significant remediation and enabling works were recently completed in January 2024 to enable development, and since that time a team of experts have been curating an ambitious, and deliverable development brief which will provide an essential framework to market the site. Clear objectives are outlined which state the council’s intentions to make the 28-acre site a sustainable, healthy and inclusive neighbourhood which has a strong identity and high design quality. If the report is given the green light, the initial phase of the procurement process will begin in October, with a view to securing a partner towards the middle of next year. The development brief will form the central part of a procurement process, seeking viable expressions of interest from developers with a proven, successful track record in delivering transformative schemes at pace, which are built on strong community engagement. Montagu Evans will be running the procurement process on behalf of the Council. It is expected that the contract with the successful development partner will be finalised in Autumn 2025 once thorough due diligence has been undertaken. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Downsizers are helping to ease the housing crisis by putting an average of 343,000 bedrooms a year back onto the UK housing market, according to new data analysis from over-50’s property specialists, Quickmove Properties, Quickmove Properties has estimated how many property sales downsizers accounted for in the UK in 2023* and, using additional data collected in a recent downsizer survey commissioned by Quickmove Properties*, estimated exactly how many bedrooms this means downsizers relinquished last year. The data reveals that across the UK, 2023 saw a total of 718,127 home sales. It is estimated by Quickmove Properties that downsizers accounted for 32% of these 2023 transactions, which is equivalent to 229,621 sales. In a recent Quickmove Properties survey, 65.1% of downsizers say that they relinquished one bedroom while downsizing (eg, moved from a 4-bed to a 3-bed home); 24.7% relinquished two bedrooms; 7.4% relinquished three beds; four beds were given up by 1.4%; and the same percentage applies to downsizers who gave up five beds. By measuring these percentages against the total number of downsizer sales in 2023, it is estimated that downsizers put a total of 342,824 bedrooms back on the market in a single year, potentially making a huge contribution to providing young families and upsizers with the homes they need. In fact, the number of bedrooms that downsizers gave back to the market is sufficient to sleep the entire population of Wigan (339,174). On a regional level, South East downsizers put by far the most bedrooms back onto the market, totalling an estimated 52,993. This is followed by downsizers in the South West (36,754), East of England (35,213), North West (33,218), and Scotland (28,502). Sales Director at Quickmove Properties, Mark O’Dwyer, commented: “Downsizers play a huge part in the property ecosystem. The market needs older property owners to downsize their family homes – perhaps once their kids have fled the nest – so that these large properties can be made available for the young families who need them. This market churn keeps everything moving, and helps bring balance to the market. Whatsmore, the extra space that downsizers put back onto the market supports our battle to overcome the ever-present housing crisis. Of course, there needs to be suitable properties for downsizers to move into, such as the bungalow-style park homes for over 50’s offered by Quickmove in some stunning coastal, rural and semi-urban locations.” Data tables and sources Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The planning submission for Phase Two of the re-development of the Tustin Estate in south-east London has been submitted. Planned in four phases, the whole scheme includes 250 replacement council homes and shared equity properties for returning leaseholders, 220 additional council homes for social rent and keyworker homes, along with 220 homes for sale. In addition, it will feature a central park, refurbishment of existing council homes, at least 1,800 sqm of commercial floorspace and a replacement primary school. This latest phase delivers 295 homes at the east of the Estate. A mixture of maisonettes, and one, two and three-bedroom flats across four buildings provide 151 affordable homes and 144 private tenure homes. Taking inspiration from the history of the estate two of the buildings, flanking the Tustin Common park area, are proposed in green and light grey brick. For the others, a combination of red and pink brick referencing the industrial past of the area and defining the Ilderton Road character area. The team has continued to work closely with residents of the estate, to ensure the project remains resident-led and reflects the requirements set out within the Tustin Residents Manifesto. Following on from Phase One, it will continue renewing and upgrading the estate’s public spaces. The core objective for Phase Two is to produce a quality building design to complement Phase One and continue the creation of a vibrant community focused redevelopment, whilst ensuring an efficient buildable design. Since planning permission for the outline masterplan and Phase One was granted, Bouygues UK been appointed as Development Partners with Southwark Council and will be both contractor and developer for all phases. The dRMM-led design team, which includes architectural collaborators McCloy + Muchemwa, Landscape Architects Exterior Architecture, Structural Engineers Shockledge, and Sustainability Consultants XC02 have worked in close collaboration with the local community. The resultant vision for the estate retains and reinforces the existing green oasis and community spirit as part of the masterplan of 690 homes. Phillippa Prongué, Bouygues UK‘s Managing Director of London and the South East said, “The planning submission for Phase Two is a significant milestone in the redevelopment of the Tustin Estate, and we are excited to continue our close collaboration with Southwark Council and the local community to bring this ambitious scheme to life.” Victoria Hale, Senior Associate at dRMM said, “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to progress our work with Southwark, and the residents of the Tustin Estate, in developing the next phase of the masterplan. Phase 2 continues the transformation of the estate, delivering and managing good quality homes for all their residents.” The 167 homes which make up Phase One are currently on site, with completion expected next year, and the whole project is planned to complete in 2030. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The City of Edinburgh Council marked the start of construction on a new affordable housing development with a ceremonial sod-cutting event on Thursday (15 August). Council Leader Cammy Day was joined by Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden and architects Smith Scott Mullan as work got underway on the development of 143 energy efficient social and mid-market rent properties. In partnership with Cruden, the project will deliver a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes across the site, including wheelchair accessible accommodation. Work will include upgrades to greenspace and the main footpath linking Salveson Cresent and Marine Drive to create safer, easier access to the shorelines. Plans also include a new Pavilion for Craigroyston Community Football club. The development is part of the £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration which will create a new residential-led mixed-use community and will deliver around 3,500 net zero carbon homes, a primary school, a health centre, commercial and cultural space, and a new coastal park. Council Leader Cammy Day said: It was great to attend the sod-cutting ceremony at the Silverlea site today as we marked the beginning of construction on this exciting development here in Edinburgh. We’re facing a Housing Emergency so we must continue to build more affordable housing to address our chronic shortage. To deliver our net zero targets for the Capital, sustainable regeneration is so important, and every element of this development has been designed with that in mind. I’m delighted that plans also include a new Pavilion for Craigroyston Community Football Club which will be a real asset to the community. The project forms part of the wider £1.3bn regeneration of the Granton area where we’re unlocking brownfield land to build a new sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood. We’re continuing to work hard to ensure Granton is somewhere residents will be proud to live and I look forward to seeing progress continue throughout this year. Fraser Lynes, MD of Cruden, added: Silverlea is a great example of development with sustainability and community at its heart, and we are thrilled to be involved in the delivery of this transformational project. The City of Edinburgh Council must be commended in bringing forward these much needed social and mid-market homes amid the capital’s housing emergency, and for specifying them to net zero carbon standards, making them greener, cleaner and more efficient to heat and run. During this development, we’re looking forward to providing the new pavilion for Craigroyston Boys Club, carefully re-using the Griffens from the historic Muirhouse Mansion, as well as delivering an important programme of new tree planting and a wildflower meadow to enhance local greenspace. The progress is the latest in the Granton Waterfront regeneration with work already well underway on several other projects in the area. Over 400 net zero homes at Western Villages as well as 75 net zero homes at ‘Granton D1’ are currently under construction. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Urgent regulatory reform required to support crucial sector in midst of national housing emergency The challenges faced by small and medium sized home builders and the need for urgent regulatory reform to get this crucial part of the Scottish housing market growing again are being spotlighted this week with a range of activities including a special roundtable session with the Ministers for Housing and Public Finance. Other MSPs are undertaking visits to vitally important rural and brownfield housing developments being delivered by SMEs across the country. This dedicated “Awareness Week” follows recently published independent data review revealing an alarming reduction in Scotland’s SME home building sector. According to representative body Homes for Scotland (HFS), the proportion of new homes sold by those building between three and 49 homes per annum has fallen from around 40 per cent in 2017 to 20 per cent in 2023. It also shows a significant increase in the number of SME home builders being dissolved, with 2023 levels 45 per cent higher than in 2019. Speaking ahead of the Ministerial roundtable taking place on Wednesday (21 August), HFS Chief Executive Jane Wood said: “Our research is the first of its kind, quantifying and contextualising Scotland’s SME home building sector and filling a significant data gap. Its findings paint a sobering picture of the impact barriers to growth are having on this vital group. “SMEs simply do not have the economies of scale available to larger developers to navigate what is an overly complex and under-resourced planning system. This, coupled with the high-risk upfront financial costs involved in residential development and an ever-increasing regulatory burden, is making many SME sites unviable. “With SMEs essential for building out rural and brownfield sites and the added context of a national housing emergency and a staggering 28% of Scottish households (693,000) identified as being in some form of housing need, what further evidence does the Scottish Government require to take action and introduce the regulatory reform required to facilitate the delivery of much-needed, warm and sustainable new homes? “We are grateful to the Ministers for Housing and Public Finance for joining us this Wednesday to hear first hand the challenges that only SME home builders themselves can provide. HFS and its members are ready to work with them to ensure Scotland has a positive regulatory environment which fosters housing growth rather than diminishing it. Eve McCurrich, Managing Director of Whiteburn Projects, this year’s HFS SME Home Builder of the Year, said: “SMEs are tremendously important to the diversity of new home delivery across Scotland. As demonstrated by the research, the decline in the number of SMEs is stark evidence of the loss of local house builders across Scotland. “A buoyant SME culture would not only see the creation of new businesses and new jobs, but importantly, it would provide new homes across the whole of Scotland. This would not only positively contribute to the national and local economies, but offer homes and jobs for people within their local communities. “I urge policy makers to take note of these findings, listen to what is needed to remove barriers, and help support the SME sector to flourish in Scotland, reaping these benefits for all.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
An industry expert is urging the new government to ensure it includes the development and prioritisation of retrofit training and knowledge as part of its focus on skills. The call follows the King’s announcement earlier this month of the Skills Bill designed to bring together local and national government, business, skills providers and unions to develop a highly trained workforce. As the government has also announced plans to build 1.5 million new homes in the next five years and reinstate housebuilding targets for local councils, concern is also being raised around ensuring the decarbonisation of existing housing stock remains a priority. As such, David Pierpoint, CEO of The Retrofit Academy is urging the government to ensure there is focus on developing the skills for the high-quality retrofitting of 27 million existing homes to make them healthier, warmer and more sustainable. Without this focus, the organisation is concerned that work to improve homes across the UK will lose momentum and the risk of poor quality retrofit will grow. Speaking on this challenge, David Pierpoint, CEO of The Retrofit Academy, said: “It is fantastic to see the government prioritising the development of a highly skilled workforce in the UK by bringing together businesses, providers, unions, Mayoral Combined Authorities and the national government. For many years we have been working closely with such organisations to make this a reality for retrofit skills and we have been making great strides in doing so, but there remains a significant challenge ahead. “It is vital that the incoming government continues to fund quality retrofit at scale, including the training required to create the retrofit workforce this requires. We understand the importance of building new homes in providing more people in the UK with a warm and comfortable place to live. However, there are millions of homes that are already available that need upgrading to provide the same, and to help us progress to net zero. As the government have said, collaboration is key to developing the skills to make this a success and we urge them to continue to drive the policy and funding that will make this possible.” In order to ensure that quality is built into retrofit from the outset, The Retrofit Academy has been developing and delivering leading accredited courses to equip people with the tools that they need to take on roles laid out in the PAS 2035 Standard – the official framework for whole-house retrofit in the UK. By embedding quality into the training process and resources, The Retrofit Academy is hoping to instil the responsibility of getting retrofit carried out to the correct high standard first time and at scale. David said: “Quality is everything when it comes to retrofit. It has to be carried out to the highest standard first time, with no exceptions or excuses. This means quality should be built in at every level, from the training courses to the continuous development, accreditation processes and work afterwards. This also means that policy and funding should actively promote the best quality retrofit, which is why we are urging the government to make this a priority within its Skills Bill and wider housing policy.” For more information about The Retrofit Academy, click here Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has expressed support for Government’s steps to tackle the constraints of housing delivery in an industry statement published recently. The statement, which has been signed by more than 30 home builders, comes in response to the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Raynor’s statement in the House of Commons outlining proposed planning reforms, including the reintroduction of mandatory local housing targets and releasing of ‘grey belt’ land. In the statement, the home building industry says it ‘stands ready to’ deliver high-quality and affordable homes at pace, provide skilled jobs and contribute to economic growth. The statement also makes clear that a range of different actors, including mortgage lenders, housing associations and councils will need to come to together and support the government’s very ambitious housing targets. Setting out the scale of the challenge, signatories point to the headwinds affecting housing supply today, including a lack of affordable mortgage finance for prospective first-time buyers, nutrient neutrality restrictions holding up the delivery of 160,000 new homes and a lack of capacity in the housing association sector which is making it increasingly difficult for to find providers to acquire and manage new social and affordable homes. Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive at the Home Builders Federation says: “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 home 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.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
