INDUSTRY NEWS 7
Housebuilding records highest activity levels since 2008
The number of new build starts has surged to the highest level in almost a decade. The latest housebuilding data shows that 164,960 new homes were started in the year to June 2017, up 13 per cent on the previous year, and have increased by more than three-quarters since the low in 2009. More than 153,000 new homes have been completed during the same period, showing an increase of 11 per cent compared with the year before.
Mayor announces fast- track planning guidance
New planning guidance for London has been announced by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, aiming to deliver faster planning permissions by bypassing burdensome viability assessments.
In order to qualify under the new Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG), developers must deliver a minimum of 35 per cent affordable housing on non-publicly funded land, and 50 per cent on public-owned land.
Developments will need to begin within
two years, and failure to meet any expectations will result in financial modelling scrutiny. Developments that do not meet the affordable thresholds will also face further scrutiny as they near completion, with financial details in the application being published online for public viewing. Any unexpected profits will be reinvested into more affordable housing. Mayor Khan explained the scope of the
scheme: “This investment will work hand- in-hand with the new approach for developers that I’m introducing today, which will allow them to benefit from a fast track through the planning system if they offer more affordable housing and get building quickly.
“I’m determined to ensure we don’t have a repeat of what happened at Battersea Power Station, with developers unacceptably reducing the number of
affordable homes on site after planning permission was granted.” Ian Fletcher, director of policy (real estate) at the British Property Federation, agreed with the proposals. He commented: “We think the Mayor is right to seek to build as much affordable housing on public land as he can, to the extent that it is also delivering the infrastructure needed and the communities and people want to live in.” “On private land,” he continued,
“affordable housing obligations are often one of many developer contributions, and for the sake of all involved it is important that the process is fair, time and priority conscious, and well-informed.” Rico Wojtulewicz, policy advisor for the House Builders Association, believes the new guidance doesn’t go far enough however, and reminded the Mayor that more diversification is needed. He said: “This SPG focuses on developers who fall short of affordable expectations, rather than enabling those who typically meet them.
“If the Mayor has any real ambition to tackle the affordable housing crisis in our capital, then supply must be diversified. “This cannot be achieved by simply tackling the burden of viability negotiations, and the planning process in its entirety must be fixed.”
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Housing and Planning Minister Alok Sharma commented on the figures: “Building more homes is an absolute priority for this government. These figures are proof that we are getting Britain building again, with new housing starts reaching record levels since 2009. “It’s vital we maintain this momentum to deliver more quality homes in the places that people want to live. Our housing White Paper set out an ambitious package of long-term reforms to do just that.” The figures demonstrate strong growth in housebuilding right across the country, with Gloucestershire, South Derbyshire and South Norfolk amongst the strongest areas in delivering high levels of starts.
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