Research published by the Housing Forum and campaign group 1.5M New Homes at Building’s Building the Future event in London today
Viability and funding pressures are the biggest barriers to delivering new homes, according to a report out today by the Housing Forum and campaign group 1.5m New Homes: The Local Government Challenge.
The report, launched at Building’s Building the Future conference in London today, was based on interviews with councillors, officers and residents from across nine local authorities in London and Cambridge City Council.
Building safety regulation and market stability and investment confidence were the third and four biggest barriers.
Top 10 challenges identified by councils, according to the impact resolving them would have on accelerating housing delivery:
1. Viability
2. Funding
3. Building safety regulation
4. Market stability and investment confidence
5. Land availability and assembly
6. Density and infrastructure delivery
7. Construction industry capacity
8. Community engagement and trust
9. Gaining planning consent and using Local Plans to support housebuilding
10. Council capacity
Source: Annual review, 1.5m New Homes: The Local Government Challenge
The report outlined the top 10 challenges (see above) and said they are “not separate, but interrelated”.
It added: “Any real solutions cannot tackle the issues in isolation, but need to look across all of them, if delivery is to be substantially improved.”
The report, co-authored by Toby Fox, founder of the campaign, and Anna Clarke of The Housing Forum, calls on government to provide long-term funding to the affordable housing sector “via direct grants rather than competitive bidding”. It calls for measures to encourage high-rise building, skills policy to encourage people into housing, first time buyer support and measures to reward councils who deliver.
It also suggests councils can increase delivery by taking a proactive approach to stalled sites, building local support for housing and embracing new technology.
Stephen Teagle, chair of The Housing Forum, who is also chief executive of Visty’s partnerships and regeneration business, said: “The Housing Forum works closely with the whole of the housing sector and supply chain. This includes our councils across the country, who we know are keen to build more homes, but face enormous challenges in doing so.
“We hope that this report will help identify not just the barriers, but also the opportunities and solutions that are available, to help councils fulfil their role as builders and facilitators of much-needed new homes.”
The 1.5 million new homes campaign visits a different council in England each month to get views on how to boost housing delivery.
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