Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer says his government is ‘paving the way’ for the largest house building programme since the second world war. Speaking at a new housing development the Prime Minster said
“For so many families, homeownership is a distant dream. After a decade of decline in housebuilding, the impact is a disconnect between working hard and getting on. This is about more than just bricks and mortar. It’s about the security and stability that owning your own home brings. I know what this means for working people – the roof above our head was everything for our family growing up.”
“We’ve already made progress in just seven months, unblocking 20,000 stuck homes. But there’s more to do. We’re urgently using all levers available to build the homes we need so more families can get on the housing ladder. We’re sweeping aside the blockers to get houses built, no longer accepting no as the default answer, and paving the way for the next generation of new towns. As part of the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era, our ambitious Plan for Change will transform the lives of working people, once again connecting the basic principle that if you work hard, you should get on.”
Over 100 proposals have been submitted as part of a consultation, each location with the potential to deliver 10,000 new homes. These are now being reviewed. Add to that 350 housing developments local councils and housebuilders say are ‘stuck in the system’ which are also being reviewed.
Extensive proposals to update planning regulations, and boost capacity have been put forward by the government in recent months. A series of brownfield and greyfield initiatives have been launched as part of a series of Golden Rules for future development.
To support these plans further £1m funding has been allocated to National Highways, Natural England and the Environment Agency; £2m to support the Building Safety Regulator for the processing for new-build applications; and over £3m has been allocated for grants to local councils to bolster planning capacity.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner added:
“Time and again we are seeing too many new homes stuck or stalled that not only act as a barrier to growth but also has real-world consequences for working people and families who see homeownership as nothing more than a distant dream. I will not run away from the tough choices to fix the housing crisis we inherited that has left thousands of families on housing waiting lists, allowed homelessness to spiral out of control, and stopped an entire generation from picking up the keys to their first home.”
“While our vision for the next generation of new towns is setting the stage for a housebuilding revolution in the years to come, urgent action is needed now to build the homes and infrastructure that our local communities are crying out for. That’s why our New Homes Accelerator is working at pace to find solutions and remove blockages in the system, executing long-lasting solutions to get spades in the ground.”
“Today we are embarking on the next chapter in our Plan for Change to build 1.5 million new homes, deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation, and raise living standards for working people and families across the country. For far too long, working people have been let down by a decline in housebuilding. That’s why the government is rolling up its sleeves and is taking on the blockers with major reforms to planning regulation to get Britain building. That work is already underway, with a staggering 20,000 new homes now successfully unblocked by the government’s novel ‘New Homes Accelerator’ programme, which deploys planning expertise to speed up the delivery of housing sites held by unnecessary delays.”
