The government has published a white paper, titled ‘Fixing our Broken Housing Market’, that sets out its strategy for solving the housing crisis in England.
The paper provides a background on the problems in the housing market and starts a consultation about how the government could reform the planning system and increase housing supply. The aim is to provide a fairer housing market and reduce the affordability gap, with the delivery of more homes being key.
The white paper outlines broadly three categories of proposal: those that the government will implement; those that it proposes to implement, subject to consultation; and those that it is consulting on, with no clearly stated intention yet.
It has been reported that the paper does not deliver the radical change that was expected. However, it is encouraging to note that the consultation does tackle planning issues without reinventing the system. A new ‘delivery test’ will put pressure on councils and developers. Pre-commencement planning conditions should be reduced, and a proportion of smaller sites should be identified in local plans to diversify allocations. The drafting of a new presumption in favour of sustainable development, to make more efficient use of land, should be welcomed.
There are reasons for optimism about the proposals for the green belt, which at first glance appear to be more restrictive than the existing national policy. Many authorities already recognise the benefit of releasing green-belt land, and the changes indicated in the white paper may ensure that doing this has clear benefits and less opposition in the long run.
It is particularly encouraging for well-located, previously developed land in the green belt. We are actively involved in the consultation process, which closed on 2 May.
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This article originally appeared in Strutt & Parker's magazine, Land Business Spring/Summer 2017. Read the full magazine here.