Nick Cuff

For the last five years, Cavendish has been looking at the engine room of London housing delivery, by studying the planning committees and what they approve, what they refuse, and the volume of new homes going through every London borough each year. The seeds of the current delivery crisis have been self-evident: 👎 In 2019, we said that London’s planning committees ‘are failing to approve the new homes needed to support delivery of their annual housing targets in future years’. 👎 In 2021, we highlighted that the ‘burden of delivery is falling disproportionately on a few top performers. This is unsustainable as it undermines public confidence in a plan-led system of housing and skews the distribution of development.’ And in our most recent report, looking at the calendar year 2023, we saw the crisis deepen: 14,354 fewer units were approved in 2023 compared to the previous year, a fall of 33%. The number of affordable homes approved in 2023 fell even more steeply compared to 2022, with 8,367 fewer affordable properties approved compared to the previous year. That’s a fall of 48%. You can download the report here: https://lnkd.in/eebPJTYW

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Swale Borough Council - is there a basis for setting a housing requirement below standard method? No is the simple answer - but constraints, notably highways, could lead to further consideration of a lower housing requirement and/or a stepped trajectory. -- At its Planning and Transportation Policy Working Group next Wednesday, the Council will discuss the 'Exceptional Circumstances' study it commissioned earlier this year, which sought to review whether there was justification for setting a housing requirement below standard method. Whilst changes to the NPPF should remove the 'exceptional circumstances' approach, the report highlights there is no clear evidence to identify there would be justification from straying from the SM figure. Further, on a "policy off" basis there appears to be no justification for a housing requirement below local housing needs. However, whilst the report highlights that physical infrastructure should not be viewed as an absolute constraint on development, it identifies the timing of reinforcements will be important and material to deliverability of sites. If one or more infrastructure challenges (i.e. highways) cannot be resolved in a timely fashion this could have implications on the overall soundness of the spatial strategy. The report suggests: "there could be a case for setting a housing requirement below LHN on the basis of the transport issues, principally highways capacity, acting as a break on growth in the Borough if satisfactory reinforcements cannot be delivered in a timely fashion. Elsewhere in the UK, Local Planning Authorities have deployed stepped housing trajectories to account for delays in delivery on key infrastructure items related to strategic sites" Further evidence would be required to consider the necessity of this in due course, as the Council moves towards its next Reg 18 consultation programmed for late Spring / early Summer 2025. -- Link: https://lnkd.in/eBdRtPVe

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The Housing Forum is very pleased to see the Government's review of Right to Buy discounts has concluded that discounts should be reduced to pre-2012 levels. https://lnkd.in/eKZ2j6ae Our recent paper on Reforming the Right to Buy called for discounts to be reduced, alongside wider reforms to eligibility and the exclusion of newbuild housing. https://lnkd.in/euNQmwFK Many of our council members are passionate about building new council housing, but currently deterred because the homes can be sold off at large discounts very quickly. Reduced discounts will help, but we urge the government to move forward with the wider reforms needed to exclude newbuild housing.

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Hello planning people, today I talk targets! All London boroughs are going to have to work harder to deliver more homes under a revised NPPF. Here I explain a little about the methodology for assessing local housing need and why some borough’s targets are going up and some are going down. But the reductions aren’t that consequential because every London borough will need to improve on what they’ve been doing in recent years. As ever the message is build, build, build (or at least consent, consent, consent). #NPPF #HousingTargets #PlanningReform

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Our webinar debate on Labour’s housing and planning policies is shaping up nicely.

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Our chair Ann Santry CBE has shared her views on the Regulator of Social Housing's inaugural Tenant Satisfaction Measures Headline Report, which was published this week: “We welcome the publication of the English social housing regulator’s tenant satisfaction measures (TSMs) this week, which tell a stark albeit not wholly surprising story of the shared owner experience. Of the 28,000 shared owners surveyed, 47% of these were either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied’ with the overall service provided by their landlord – while 32% were dissatisfied with the overall landlord service. “We believe that shared ownership has a vital role to play in addressing housing needs and helping people take that early step into home ownership, but we also fully appreciate that there are challenges with the product. “That’s precisely why the Shared Ownership Council was created, and why we are about to launch a new Shared Ownership Code, which will work in the interests of both customers and providers alike. “Along with an updated Code, we’ll be sharing the findings from our consultation process – which includes responses from 1,700 shared owners. We look forward to sharing the Code and the survey findings shortly, to ensure our continued engagement with a whole range of interested parties – and to ensuring the voice of consumers and the support the industry needs go hand-in-hand.” #SharedOwnership #SOCodeLaunch

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Essential reading for all in #UKHousing. The final Grenfell Tower Inquiry report is here. Thinking of the 72 people who died in the tragedy and all those impacted by it: https://lnkd.in/eTdkZ66f

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#Labour’s plan to #build more #homes is encouraging, but do not expect it to profoundly reform the market. The #housing crisis is mainly confined to the most prosperous parts of the country, with #London and areas of South East England experiencing the most acute issues. This is where housing affordability tends to be the worst, and therefore where more homes are needed. This is also where Oxford Economics expect #employment and #population to grow the most, further exacerbating the housing issue. We #forecast that a limited group of 27 local authorities across the #UK will represent a quarter of the country’s housing needs over the next 10 years, 19 of which are in London https://lnkd.in/eRySVN2B

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Here it is - draft NPPF - review to follow: #planning #NPPF #housebuilding Marrons

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Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Planning Newsletter Message from Chief Planner 10 May 2024 This Newsletter provides updates on the latest announcements from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and other government departments and agencies relating to planning practices and policy. Much in here of interest. I might just highlight the update on implementation of build-out measures and that there will be a public consultation (hopefully this summer) to seek views on the practical implementation of the four LURA build out measures. See attached.

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New NPPF, 8 week consultation - Interesting to see a new annexe on green belt viability and that the all-important benchmark land value is marked as xxx. Viability will be key to meeting the 'golden rules'. - Slashing targets in London while allowing green belt building seems counter-intuitive. - Increase in targets overall - deliverable by housebuiders, or just likely to result in a local plan and planning application frenzy? Happy days for land promoters. Sad days for the countryside and for nature. - Asking councils to continue to prepare early stage plans in line with the NPPF under consultation seems a little pre-determined (Gunnings' 'conscientious consideration' of responses, anyone?) - We have to wait until the autumn budget for the all important social housing budget. https://lnkd.in/e5b2ghPx

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We welcome the Government’s commitment to reforming the planning system, which is acting as a significant brake on economic growth across the UK.   The introduction of the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, combined with the upcoming reform of the National Planning Policy Framework, is a welcome step to unlocking the opportunity of brownfield urban regeneration to achieve economic growth. It’s pleasing to see a number of our proposals outlined in our More growth, more homes and more jobs discussion paper being proposed by the Government. We hope this positive approach to partnership will continue over the parliament.   But we recognise that brownfield urban regeneration alone cannot meet the UK’s housing needs. We support a targeted approach to green belt release to complement these reforms. As strong backers of local government, we also welcome further moves to empower our partners in cities through the English Devolution Bill. Stronger cities will undoubtedly lead to more economic growth, whilst a comprehensive and consistent approach to devolution will foster greater opportunities for investment, stronger private sector partnerships, and ultimately, a better quality of life for people living in cities across the UK.   This is a promising first step, and we look forward to continued collaboration with the Government and local authorities to get Britain building again. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/egwy4cDK

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LIVERPOOL CITY REGION REVISED STANDARD METHOD IMPLICATIONS The outcome of yesterday’s announcement by the government regarding annual housing requirement uplifts for local authorities in the Liverpool City Region are shown below. Angela Rayner has also confirmed that, unless an emerging Local Plan has reached Examination, it should be re-worked to take into account the revised housing targets. This suggests Wirral will continue with current housing need figures. Liverpool, Knowsley, and Sefton have Local Plan reviews underway, which will need to take into account the below revised figures. Halton and St Helens, having recently adopted Local Plans, will only apply the updated figures when they review the plans (assumed to be in 2027, being 5-years post adoption). The Liverpool City Region Spatial Development Strategy is at an early stage of preparation and will therefore also have to take account of the new figures. Certainly lots of opportunities both for the promotion of land and, in some cases, for planning applications on 5YHLS shortfall grounds. You know where we are! #Housing #Planning #LiverpoolCityRegion

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Just over two weeks out from polling day, and the latest Redfield & Wilton Strategies key issue by likely voting intention is showing some divergence on #ukhousing once again. Latest ranking by likely voting by party as follows: LAB: 3rd most important (+1) - back to its normal ranking of 3rd LDM: 4th (=) - highly consistent ranking position CON: 6th (-2) - slipped back from a high of 4th - back behind policing and pensions RFM: 5th (=) - surprisingly consistent ranking here Clearly housing is a big issue for all parties and their supporters, although I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling that housing proposals in each of the manifestos were somewhat disappointing in response. Certainly there'll be lots of opportunity post-election to get into more detail with the new Government and to raise the level of public discourse...

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Many thanks to Mark Cantrell and the team at Housing Digital for the opportunity to discuss this important topic – we must unite as a sector to navigate current funding challenges and innovate to find new and alternative sources of funding. #SohoHousing #innovation

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I was reading an article on the BBC website today on the low number of planning permissions granted in the last few months: https://lnkd.in/eM2drzMV. There is definitely a job for the government to do in reforming the planning system. But it's not just about expediting more and more housebuilding. It's about understanding what the country needs and how to make that happen. We work very well with planners around the country, but there are still many local councils with a limited understanding of the C2 asset class that retirement villages are usually built under. That means a delay to approvals while that understanding is developed. And that's a delay the country can ill afford while there is such an undersupply of properties that are suitable for our rapidly aging population. The simple fix would be to mandate planners to include provision of age specific housing in any big development. We've seen the benefits of intergenerational communities in places like Watford Riverwell, where Mayfield Watford sits alongside housing, amenities and hospitals to create a vibrant, thriving urban hub. 

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The recent YouGov poll on support for house building and our own #Shelter research from 2015 all say the same thing - the majority of people support it. We have a window of opportunity with this new government to show them, local authorities and communities the transformational social impact that new development can bring. We must shout about what we have already delivered and all that we can do if we work together because everyone deserves a safe and secure home. #NPPF #socialimpact #housingcrisis #communityengagement

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