Angela Rayner responds to news from the CMA that the planning system and limitations of speculative private development ‘have seen too few homes built’

Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary, responding to news from the Competition and Markets Authority that the planning system and limitations of speculative private development ‘have seen too few homes built’, said: 

“This report makes clear that bold action, like that pledged in Labour’s Housing Recovery Plan, is urgently needed to deliver the quantity and affordability of new homes our country needs. 

“The Tories have overseen a broken planning system which provides incentives for developers to trickle out newly built homes, preventing the large-scale creation of new housing Britain desperately needs. Rishi Sunak is too weak to take on the blockers of growth in his party to deliver the change our country needs. 

“Labour will strengthen the rules to prevent developers wriggling out of their responsibilities on social and affordable housing, and we will reverse recent planning changes made by the Conservatives, including the removal of mandatory local housing targets. This is how the next Labour government will get Britain building and deliver the biggest boost to affordable, social and council housing for a generation.” 

Ends

Notes:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/26/uk-housebuilders-investigated-cma-new-homes

Labour’s Housing Recovery Plan includes: 

• Reversing the Conservatives' changes to the National Planning Policy Framework by reinstating compulsory local housing targets, strengthening requirements to maintain land supply for housebuilding and restoring a presumption in favour of sustainable development. 
• A ministerial statement with legal force strengthening requirements to approve homes, stating we expect authorities without up-to-date plans and if they fail key policy tests. 
• Intervening where local authorities don’t meet our expectations, ranging from mediation with the Planning Inspectorate, to use of ‘call-in’ and designation powers. 
• As announced by the Shadow Chancellor, increasing capacity of LPAs, hiring hundreds of new planners to agree local plans, paid for by increasing tax on purchase of residential property by foreign buyers, and greater use of Planning Performance Agreements on large sites. 
• Increasing flexibility in the Affordable Homes Programme so Homes England can get ‘stalled’ sites moving with more social and affordable housing, and reforms to the Section 106 agreements.