- The broad consensus is that to address the housing emergency, the housebuilding industry needs to deliver well above projections of population growth to deal with decades of undersupply. 370,000 proposed homes is a strong signal of the government’s intent to address the undersupply of homes, restore confidence in the market and get housebuilding on the right trajectory.
- A new standard method is being proposed by the government, based on housing stock as it is considered more stable and predictable, and adjusted to reflect housing affordability. Following consultation, policy will move towards making this standard method the only route to assessing housing targets in each authority. Concerns were raised regarding levels of empty stock/investment properties, second homes and holiday lets being included in the proposed formula.
- Whilst other approaches such as economic data and rental affordability are also being considered, they currently lack robust, consistent data. With this new proposed standard method, it is predicted that housing targets will significantly rise, especially throughout the north and northwest of England where figures are currently at the lowest.
- Changes in legislation and subsequent guidance can provide uncertainty and costs for local authorities and politicians. If members think things are going to change, there is uncertainty to whether they’ll approve a process given the cost, resources and uncertainty involved.
- The affordability ratio can impact LPAs quite significantly. Whilst it can be agreed that more affordable housing should be provided, alongside the infrastructure required, there needs to be a balance between providing the right level of affordable housing and also making sure that there is a network of infrastructure in place to support them.
- The draft NPPF currently appears to drive optimism within the housing development sector and has in the main been positively received. Introducing the standard method figures as a mandatory starting point versus the previous advisory status seems to be a positive move from the housebuilding sector. However, whilst not precluding consideration of genuine geographical and land status constraints, it was noted that developers, not LPAs, are the lead delivery agents.
Rob Foers, Team Leader – Planning for Housing Need, MHCLG
Matt Clarke, Director, Boyer Planning
Sarah McLaughlin, Head of Growth & Infrastructure, Hertfordshire CC
