Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has further cemented the Labour Party’s manifesto promise to ‘get Britain building’ through new local housing targets. The Labour government has pledged to build 1.5 million homes during their term, raising annual housing targets to over 370,000 from the previous 300,000 that the Tories had promised.
Here are some of the highlights from her most recent announcements:
· Mandatory Local Housing Targets: Local housing targets will now be mandatory, however most pressure seems to be being placed on the rural communities, since the London housing requirement will reduce to around 80,000 per year.
· Utilisation of Grey Belt Land: If local authorities are struggling to meet their targets, then low quality grey belt land should be reviewed first, before using green belt land. A definition of grey belt land will be published, and is likely to include areas closest to train stations and infrastructure. Any development on green belt land must see 50% affordable housing.
· Importance of Local Plans: Rayner also stressed the importance of local plans, which are now mandatory in all authorities, stating that they highlight the need for housing and infrastructure of local people, and allow the opportunity for local consultation.
· Right to Buy Consultation: She stated there will be a consultation on the Right to Buy in order for councils to have enough housing stock to replace homes sold under the scheme.
· National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Consultation: The draft NPPF will now enter consultation, which Rayner has assured will have sufficient engagement and bring about a reformed NPPF which will benefit all authorities, developers and local people.
· s106 Funding: Rayner also highlighted in response to Jo White’s question, MP for Bassetlaw, about s106 funding, that this money is vitally important in improving infrastructure for areas with new development, and Labour will support s106 being utilised in the most efficient way to mitigate the effects of development.
· New Towns Taskforce: The Government has also announced the appointment of Sir Michael Lyons to chair a New Towns Taskforce. The Taskforce will deliver new towns that will have at least 10,000 homes each, 40% of which will be affordable housing. The Taskforce will announce the location of the first of a number of new towns within 12 months.
Her announcements, however, were not without criticism. Here are some of the lowlights from her most recent announcements:
· Delay in NPPF Reform: Kemi Badenoch, Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who yesterday announced that she is throwing her hat in the ring for Conservative leadership, criticised Rayner for u-turning on Labour’s promises to reform the NPPF within the first 100 days of government, since Rayner has now stated that this will be completed by the end of the year.
· Use of Green Belt Land: Daisy Cooper, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, questioned the use of green belt land and Labour’s intention to limit urban sprawl. The Lib Dems have been staunchly against using green belt land, in order to maintain green spaces for local people.
· Infrastructure Strain: Paul Holmes, Conservative MP for Hamble Valley, criticised Labour’s approach to doubling the number of houses required by targets, which predominantly affect areas such as the South East, however leaving cities like London alone that have the infrastructure to handle more development. Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh & Wickford, echoed the sentiment of struggling infrastructure in his constituency and others.
· Beautiful Housing: Sir John Hayes, Conservative MP for South Holland and The Deepings, highlighted how many people from council homes could be left with unattractive homes and stated they also deserve to live in beautiful homes, which follows Labour’s removal of the ‘beautiful’ standard.
These announcements answered some questions, however there is still a lot to be clarified. Here are some of our remaining questions:
· Will pressure on local authorities mean real change is going to happen to the planning process?
· Will the NPPF consultation process be pushed back further, and what will happen in the meantime?
· Where will the new planning officers be recruited from?
· What will the definition of grey belt actually entail?
· Will all of these promises ensure development happens where most needed, and will local authorities actually start approving large scale developments?
Angela Rayner’s announcements present an exciting start to the change in housebuilding. For developers, these new targets present opportunities, however planning considerations will remain crucial, so plans should still be well thought through. Developers should be using local plans to guide their choices on where to build, and leverage s106 and CIL proposals to unlock infrastructure, ensuring developments are welcomed in local communities. Local community engagement will be vitally important to do this as well. While not all questions have been answered, it is encouraging to see housebuilding as a priority for this Labour government.
Comments