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
DCN, LGA, and Crisis demand five urgent measures to support people in danger of homelessness and protect council finance The Government has been urged to take swift and decisive action to stem the temporary accommodation crisis in a letter by five of the biggest organisations campaigning on the issue. The
Deposit alternative specialists flatfair have announced a bumper month with Build To Rent (BTR) sector landlords. And CEO Gary Wright says that smaller, private landlords should follow the lead of the corporate providers in choosing the additional protection offered by their No Deposit scheme. He said: “Understandably, landlords feel they
Tim Foreman, Managing Director of Land and New Homes, Leaders Romans Group (LRG): Housing targets I am pleased with the optimism that the government is showing towards the delivery of new homes. The delivery of 1.5 million homes in the current Parliament is unarguably necessary to meet current housing need
Honor Barratt, CEO, Birchgrove said: “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
Southwark Council officially opened its brand new homes development in south Bermondsey on Tuesday 23 July 2024. The development is named Folajimi Apartments, to commemorate the life and bravery of Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole (Jimi), who tragically drowned in the River Thames in April 2021 after jumping in to rescue another person
Michael Holmes, property expert for the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show and Vice Chair of the National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA), says: 1. High VAT Costs for London home improvements Ensure your contractor is VAT-registered and can apply the reduced rate for eligible works. Take advantage of the
Carter Jonas to analyse the Green Belt’s composition, purpose and potential to address future housing need Throughout the general election campaign, the Green Belt was central to the debate about the housing crisis. The new Labour government has committed to building 1.5 million homes during the next parliament and has
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
DCN, LGA, and Crisis demand five urgent measures to support people in danger of homelessness and protect council finance The Government has been urged to take swift and decisive action to stem the temporary accommodation crisis in a letter by five of the biggest organisations campaigning on the issue. The letter from the District Councils’ Network (DCN), Local Government Association (LGA), Crisis, the County Councils Network and the East of England Local Government Association comes as official figures reveal further alarming growth in temporary accommodation use. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government data released today reveal an alarming increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation, rising by 12.3% over the year to March to 117,450 households. There was also a 14.7% increase in families with children living in temporary accommodation, now totalling 74,530 households. District council spending on temporary accommodation has increased by 200% in just five years and now takes up to half of some councils’ budgets. Councils would rather invest in new high-quality, permanent housing which enables people to put down roots in their communities than spend such vast sums dealing with the consequences of homelessness. In response to the newly published figures, the five organisations issued an open letter to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, calling for immediate action to tackle the root causes of homelessness and alleviate the unsustainable pressure on local councils. You can read details of the five actions we seek in the letter attached. The collaboration brings together the on-the-ground expertise of district councils, the broader local government perspective of the LGA, county councils’ social care specialism, and the specialised knowledge of Crisis to tackle this critical issue. Cllr Hannah Dalton, District Councils’ Network housing spokesperson, said: “High use of temporary accommodation is the result of national policy failure which forces councils to expensively deal with the consequences of homelessness rather than prevent it in the first place. We seek extra powers to ensure sufficient affordable, good quality, secure homes are built in the first place, so we’re no longer reliant on often low-quality, high-cost temporary accommodation. “Temporary accommodation prevents people from putting roots down in their community and it leads to the disruption of education as children end up moving from school to school. It’s also financially crippling councils, taking up to 30% of some districts’ budgets and using up money we’d far rather spend on supporting people to avoid homelessness. “Councils are not receiving the funding they need to cover temporary accommodation costs – we urge ministers to unfreeze the Housing Benefit subsidy cap so it reflects the cost of providing accommodation today. However, our focus needs to be on finding longer-term solutions. “We need action to lift the barriers which prevent councils from building and retaining council housing, and which thwart us from ensuring that homes affordable for everyone in our community are built. “Overcoming homelessness once and for all would dramatically reduce the ill-health, low school attainment and lack of productivity associated with homelessness, reducing the burden on other public services and improving people’s lives.” Matt Downie, Chief Executive at Crisis, said: “Our housing and homelessness system are broken, and councils are paying a hefty price for years of inaction. It’s unacceptable that we have hundreds of thousands of children growing up having never known a home of their own home. Their young lives wracked by uncertainty and insecurity which risks untold damage to their health, education and life chances. “Councils are in between a rock and a hard place as they try to support families but without adequate levels of social housing, and proper investment, many are being pushed towards financial ruin. To pull councils back from the brink, the Autumn Budget must contain increased funding so they can continue to help people who need it most. But if we’re going to tackle the root cause of this crisis, it’s critical that alongside the positive steps on social housing the Westminster Government establishes a Unit for Ending Homelessness which is focused on ensuring we become a place where everyone has a safe place to call home.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Deposit alternative specialists flatfair have announced a bumper month with Build To Rent (BTR) sector landlords. And CEO Gary Wright says that smaller, private landlords should follow the lead of the corporate providers in choosing the additional protection offered by their No Deposit scheme. He said: “Understandably, landlords feel they are living in uncertain times. Local authority licensing is on the increase and the Renters Rights Bill is just around the corner. “It’s not surprising that the bigger providers are looking at the rental landscape and seeking out as much protection as they can for their investments.” July was a record month for No Deposit plans from flatfair’s BTR partners with 80% more plans sold than the same month last year. Their deposit alternative option is offered at approximately 77% of live BTR units and their customers include many of the most respected names in the industry, such as Greystar, Native Residential and urbanbubble. Wright explained that flatfair offers free protection of up to 10 weeks’ worth of damages and/or rent arrears for landlords and if the amount owed exceeds this, flatfair pays the landlords upfront while recovering the debts themselves. Fully recovered “With the extra protection offered with our deposit alternative, there can be a misconception that it costs landlords money. But it is completely free for both agents and landlords and they unlock double the amount of protection in the event of damage to property or rent arrears at the end of the tenancy. “There can also be a mistaken belief that deposit alternatives attract a poorer quality of tenant but in our case, the vast majority of No Deposit tenancies have closed without charges or they have been settled in full by the tenant. “The remainder have set up repayment plans for the money to be fully recovered on behalf of the landlord. “A month on after the election, we can clearly see the direction of travel – that is very tenant-focused – landlords will be bound to be feeling pressure. “The BTR sector – as a group of very large landlords – are absolutely committed to this product and see the value of it and we firmly believe that agents and smaller landlords would feel the benefit if they followed suit. They are the lifeblood of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) and they should feel that their businesses are safe and secure.” Wright recounted the story of an agent client who also let their own property with No Deposit: “Their tenants’ charges exceeded 10 weeks’ worth of damages and unpaid rent. In this particular case, they received 5 weeks’ worth of rent plus additional payment for redecoration, cleaning and repairs – full recovery. They said they were paid more than they would have received through a traditional deposit scheme and it saved them a lot of hassle chasing down the debt. “The bigger BTR players have already realised this and there is no reason why private landlords should miss out.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Tim Foreman, Managing Director of Land and New Homes, Leaders Romans Group (LRG): Housing targets I am pleased with the optimism that the government is showing towards the delivery of new homes. The delivery of 1.5 million homes in the current Parliament is unarguably necessary to meet current housing need and compensate for years of under-delivery. But it is ambitious, not only in the figures but in the implementation too. Affordable housing targets From my clients’ point of view, the key point is the 50% affordable / social housing requirement for certain developments. While developers fully understand the need for more affordable housing, the issue is in the deliverability. With high labour and build costs an increasing raft of ‘planning gain’ requirements – biodiversity net gain, CIL and increasingly SANG too, viability is a growing issue. There are circumstances in which a development of 1,000 homes with 30% affordable housing is viable but 50% affordable housing is not. And yet surely 1,000 homes of which 300 are affordable housing, as compared to none at all, is preferable? The government needs to fully understand the pressures that the industry faces and the fact that profits are all too often minimal. Increasing co-operation with developers – for example, in allowing more car parking spaces to benefit marketability – would be a step the right direction. Similarly, where affordable housing requirements are increased, there should a balance whereby other requirements, such as funding for transport, is reduced. Timing Another aspect in which today’s Statement is possibly over-ambitious is timing. Clearly the government has made housing delivery a priority – as is demonstrated in the fact that the NPPF will be in place by September. But planning is notoriously slow. The government is set to deliver 1.5 million homes in five years, by 2029 – but due to the speed of planning and development, the first home is unlikely to be occupied until 2027. The number of homes to be delivered between 2027-9 will be unprecedented. To address this, my suggestion would be a Planning & Development Taskforce – a government agency with the sole objective of speeding up planning applications. Its first priority would be enforcing local plan production and implementation, by ensuring that local authorities are singing from the same hymn sheet as the government. It would also need to put in place special delivery vehicles for delivering new towns because there is no way in which the ambitious housing targets can be met without new towns – but the creation of an entirely new community a long and complex process. The government’s intention to reinvigorate the call in-process is a positive one. But it doesn’t speed up individual planning applications so much as reduce the likelihood of refusal – again, the process takes considerable time. Local Plan Furthermore, while it’s encouraging that the Secretary of State has said that every local authority must have up to date local plan, this was the case until recently and it didn’t result in universal delivery. Even with penalties applies, some local authorities rebelled, to the point that a large proportion are now without an up-to-date local plan. I do not have faith in local plan production being significantly increased until I can be convinced that the mechanisms have been put in place to achieve this.
Honor Barratt, CEO, Birchgrove said: “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.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Southwark Council officially opened its brand new homes development in south Bermondsey on Tuesday 23 July 2024. The development is named Folajimi Apartments, to commemorate the life and bravery of Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole (Jimi), who tragically drowned in the River Thames in April 2021 after jumping in to rescue another person who had fallen in. The Folajimi Apartments development provides 56 new homes, made up of 26 council homes and 30 homes for private sale. Folajimi’s family attended the opening ceremony to celebrate the opening of the building and to remember Folajimi, alongside Southwark councillors and developer Higgins. Cllr Helen Dennis, Southwark’s Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said, “I’m delighted to see these fantastic new homes completed and ready to open their doors to residents. This is a high-quality, spacious new development which will provide wonderful new homes for the local community here. “I’m also incredibly proud to be here today with the Olubunmi-Adewole family to commemorate Jimi and the selfless act of bravery he displayed which is an inspiration to all of us, and which the name of this new building represents.” Ayodeji Olubunmi-Adewole, Jimi’s brother said, “Southwark and Bermondsey in particular was really significant to Jimi because he grew up in this area. This community was Jimi so when we heard that the building would be named after him we were full of joy as a family. “Seeing the building from the start to the finish today means a lot to us and when we are gone this development will still be here and be a testament to what Jimi has done. I know he will be smiling down on us today. We are really grateful and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” Will Higgins, Group Executive Director from Higgins Group, said, “We are really proud of what has been accomplished here and are honoured that Jimi’s family could join us today to witness the naming of these new homes after him. “Alongside providing these much-needed new homes, we have actively engaged with the local community throughout the development process. This engagement includes delivering meaningful initiatives such as employment and training opportunities, volunteering with local charities, and engaging with schools.” As a family-owned business with over 60 years in the industry, Higgins is committed to building better, stronger, safer and more sustainable communities, that not only deliver high-quality homes for local residents, but also leave a legacy of positive impact. Through its partnership with organisations such as Joe Brennan Training, Southwark Construction Skills Centre, and Southwark Works, Higgins has provided employment and training opportunities, giving residents a foot in the door into the construction industry or the chance to return to it. This includes three local apprentices, seven long term unemployed residents into sustained jobs and training for eight local residents. The company has also engaged with 13 Southwark schools and colleges, achieving 127 school engagement hours. Working closely with partners like the Construction Youth Trust, Higgins has participated in a variety of beneficial employability events that support and prepare young people for the world of work. It has also given back to the local community and the wider borough by working with local charities and schools to deliver beneficial initiatives and offer our support to those in need, including supporting Southwark homeless charity Robes through financial and volunteering and providing additional support across the borough through 157 community and volunteering hours. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Michael Holmes, property expert for the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show and Vice Chair of the National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA), says: 1. High VAT Costs for London home improvements Ensure your contractor is VAT-registered and can apply the reduced rate for eligible works. Take advantage of the 5% VAT rate for installing energy-saving materials like insulation, solar panels, and heat pumps. If converting a non-residential building into a home or renovating a property that has been empty for 2+ years, you may qualify for a reduced 5% VAT rate. Projects that increase or decrease the number of dwelling units, such as splitting a house into flats or vice versa, can attract a reduced 5% VAT rate. Renovating properties that have been empty for 10 years or more, or changing the use of a building, may also qualify for the reduced 5% VAT rate on all eligible labour and materials. 2. Substantial property taxes for London househunters First-time buyers can benefit from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief on properties up to £500,000. If you are transferring equity (ownership) of a property, SDLT may only be payable on the portion being transferred. Purchasing a property that includes both residential and commercial elements can qualify for the non-residential SDLT rates (often lower than residential rates). If you are purchasing multiple properties in a single transaction, such as a house with an annex, you may qualify for Multiple Dwellings Relief, which can lower the SDLT payable. Try to negotiate the purchase price to fall just below an SDLT threshold to benefit from lower SDLT bands. If possible, structure the purchase agreement to include deferred payment arrangements, which can spread the SDLT liability over a longer period. When buying through a shared ownership scheme, you can choose to pay SDLT in stages based on the share you purchase, which can reduce the initial SDLT burden. 3. Air Pollution A mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system ensures a consistent supply of warm fresh air no matter the temperature outside. It also has filters to clean the incoming air of pollen, dust and other particles so it’s constantly replenishing your home with fresh, filtered air. 4. Climate Change Impact An architect using the Passivhaus design software will be able to predict how much overheating your home will experience in summer and advise on measures to bring this down. For example, external blinds can be very effective at reducing solar gain (which causes the temperature to rise in your home) by between 80 and 100%. The most effective systems should be fixed or need intervention to be effective such as brise soleil and overhangs. But shutters blinds or awnings can also be effective. Other useful measures include optimising the size of your windows, doors and rooflights, and deep window reveals. 5. Lack of skilled labour We have a real shortage of skilled labour in the UK Construction industry. However, there are still good trades and builders out there. You will have to wait for the good ones as they’re booked up, so do not be tempted to rush into using someone who can start on Monday. They aren’t busy for good reason. Use social media to follow their jobs, you can build a good understanding of their company without getting off your sofa. 6. Planning delays The current planning system is flawed and needs a radical overhaul to get London building again. If the new government looks at this as a matter of urgency it will hopefully reduce the delays homeowners are currently seeing with planning applications which means their build can start quicker and with less red tape. 7. Fitting an air source heat pump Due to the nature of London buildings which are close together and often have a high number of occupiers, a lot of the properties are not immediately suitable for heat pump installation procedures. Also, some of the permitted development rules and regulations can make it more difficult to fit new technology… One long-term effect will be that the ‘spark gap’ – the difference in price between the cost per kw of electricity and the cost per kw of gas, for heat – is getting bigger as gas gets harder to find. So, there will be a cost burden going forward, as we’ll have carbon emissions, but it’ll also be more expensive in the future to run gas. And it’ll be much more expensive than to do the conversion to a heat pump because, potentially, the boiler upgrade scheme grant won’t be there. If these could include hybrid systems (where you keep the boiler but have a heat pump as well), this might also become a solution for congested areas. 8. The cost and complexity of the energy efficiency upgrades As we’ve seen in the past with solar photovoltaic panels, the moment that you make it easier for people to get them, the turnover increases and the cost comes down. So, what we need to do is increase the adoption rate by making it simple for people to adopt new energy efficient technology. Then from that perspective, the cost comes down and more people can implement energy efficiency upgrades. And what starts as a snowball rolling down a hill becomes an avalanche of change. 9. Understanding what can be done without needing a full planning application Permitted development rights are what allow you to do things to your house without having to make a planning application. Each of these rights has a different set of criteria that your project needs to meet in order to qualify for the exemption. Many of these criteria are super complicated. Luckily the government has pushed out a technical document that explains them. Just put “Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance” into a search engine. Again, a planning consultant can advise on what it means, but the only way to obtain a legally binding confirmation that what you want to do doesn’t require a planning application is to get a lawful
Carter Jonas to analyse the Green Belt’s composition, purpose and potential to address future housing need Throughout the general election campaign, the Green Belt was central to the debate about the housing crisis. The new Labour government has committed to building 1.5 million homes during the next parliament and has pledged to adopt a strategic approach to the use of Green Belt land as part of the delivery solution, including building on poor quality so-called ‘grey belt’ land. In a new report, Rethinking the Green Belt, national property consultancy Carter Jonas has moved the debate on a stage, by considering what land might be used and how it will be released. The analysis by takes an in-depth look at the subject, determining to what extent land within the Green Belt differs from land outside it; how much of the Green Belt is protected by other (and perhaps more appropriate) designations, and exploring options for using Green Belt land in order to achieve more sustainable patterns of development. The composition of the Green Belt The amount of land designated as Green Belt has recently increased: in the two years to April 2023, it rose by 25,443 ha (1.6%), returning Green Belt coverage to 2004 levels. A closer look reveals that there is not a huge difference in land use when a comparison is made between Green Belt and non-Green Belt areas, suggesting that Green Belt land is not especially unique, as is commonly assumed. 6.8% of Green Belt land has been developed, compared to 9.0% for non-Green Belt land. Of that, the majority is used for transport and hardstanding, such as car parks, paved or tarmacked areas, accounting for 5.2% and 6.1% of Green Belt and non-Green Belt land, respectively. Land developed for buildings accounts for just 1.2% of Green Belt land, and 2.5% of non-Green Belt land. Furthermore, while 18.9% of the Green Belt is in the form of forest, open land and water, the proportion of land outside the Green Belt within this classification is only slightly greater, at 20.3%. These statistics emphasise that the Green Belt is no more than a planning policy tool to be deployed for specific purposes rather that a landscape or ecological designation as some might incorrectly assume, and which might result in markedly different land use data. The purpose of the Green Belt The original purposes of the Green Belt were numerous: to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another; assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and assist in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Although commonly seen as a means of preserving ‘green’ land, the Green Belt was not created with the primary purpose of protecting the natural environment: that role is fulfilled by environmental designations including National Parks, National Landscapes (previously AONBs), SSSIs and Ramsar Sites. Only 21% of all Green Belt land is covered by an environmental designation. This percentage ranges from 38.7% of London’s Green Belt, 33.6% for Bournemouth / Poole and 26.3% for Bristol / Bath, to just 3.8% for Cambridge, 3.6% for York and 2.8% for Stoke on Trent. Just as environmental protection is not an objective of the Green Belt, neither is recreational use. Land used for outdoor recreation accounts for 5.5% of Green Belt land, ranging from 21.9% of London’s Green Belt to just 3.3% in the North East. There would seem to be clear scope to improve on this. So, as the Green Belt is increasingly a feature of planning debate and discussion, should its original objectives be reviewed? David Churchill, Partner at Carter Jonas comments, “The Green Belt is primarily a planning policy tool with the original objective of preventing urban sprawl. “Priorities for green open spaces are changing. Unsurprisingly, there is mounting pressure to allow more development on Green Belt land in response to the housing crisis. In most cases such developments can generate considerable new recreational space. Consequently, new communities may be better provided for by addressing today’s priorities for open spaces, such as providing for health and wellbeing and biodiversity net gain, as opposed to leaving the land in its current unbuilt state.” Meeting housing demand The Labour government has committed to building 1.5 million homes, or 300,000 per annum over five years. Assuming an average plot size of 0.033 hectares (Carter Jonas research), and on the (doubtless erroneous) assumption that all of these homes would be built in the Green Belt, this would only equate to 3.0% of the current extent of Green Belt. The reality is that any Green Belt ‘land take’ will be far lower, with brownfield and non-Green Belt locations being prioritised. Hence the quantum of land to be removed from the Green Belt is likely to be pretty modest in the overall scheme of things. David Churchill comments, “Our research shows that housing need can be met without substantial loss to the Green Belt. We are not advocating all new homes being located on the Green Belt but are suggesting that there are strategic benefits in releasing some Green Belt land for housing. For example, it could reduce the number of ‘leapfrogging’ developments – those located further from urban areas than is desirable, which increase residents’ carbon footprints through extensive commutes and impacts on both businesses’ and residents’ proximity to urban centres.” Carter Jonas’ research shows the extent of Green Belt release required by region if housing stock was increased by 6% (to align with Labour’s 1.5m housebuilding target over the next 5 years, and again provided solely on the Green Belt): in London, a 6% increase in housing stock would require 21.1% of Green Belt land. In contrast, in five regions (South East, North West, North East, East of England, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber), a 6% increase in housing would equate to less than 3% of Green Belt land being released. David Churchill continues, “While
