Section: Housing Policy
News
Government sets out its directions for planning and housing
Posted 24.07.23
GOV.UK: Further reading
Following a commitment by the Prime Minister to meet the manifesto pledge to build one million homes over this Parliament, the Housing and Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove outlined policy directions aimed at unblocking the planning system and building more homes in the right places.
Specifically on planning, he said:
- The Government will immediately launching a £24 million Planning Skills Delivery Fund to clear backlogs and get the right skills in place.
- It will also set up a new 'super-squad' team of leading planners and other experts charged with working across the planning system to unblock major housing developments.
- Developers will also be asked to contribute more through fees, to help support a higher quality more efficient planning service.
On housing provision, he announced:
- New flexibilities to convert shops, takeaways and betting shops into homes will help to rejuvenate the high street.
- Red tape will be cut to enable barn conversions and the re-purposing of agricultural buildings and disused warehouses.
- New freedoms to extend homes, convert lofts and renovate new buildings will help to convert existing properties into new accommodation.
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NHF response to Gove's speech on a long-term plan for housing
Posted 24.07.23
National Housing Federation (NHF): Further reading
In its response to Michael Gove's speech (see above) the NHF wrote:
- We have been calling for a long term plan for housing and whilst this is a positive start, it is nowhere near the scale or ambition that is needed.
- We welcome the commitments to planning interventions, however this is relatively piece meal given the challenge we face.
- There is nothing in this announcement about investing in social housing which is sorely needed. We have a chronic shortage of social homes in this country, caused by decades of under investment.
- We need a strategic, nationally coordinated and properly funded long-term housing plan, focused on drastically increasing social housing across the country - which this is not.
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