Places for People’s Post

A quick summary from Angela Raynor's statement just now in Parliament. Quite simply, this is one of the most ambitious and central workstreams of this government. Raynor talks about planning targets, ambition, rules on local authorities, and something that we will hear a lot in the next few years "Labour will get Britain building" She admitted some of what is being proposed is controversial but emphasised its urgency due to the acute housing crisis we have. (It is a housing affordability crisis!) She used her speech to criticise the Conservatives, saying they couldn't get anywhere near their target of 300,000 homes, but these plans she is proposing will be for 370,000. The point is coming across that it's now about how we deliver new housing, and not if. Local mandatory targets will be in place. There is a more strategic system in place for the green belt. Local authorities will have to review the green belt if they are to meet their goals. Fifty per cent of housing on the green belt will need to be affordable, but affordable for who, and is this genuinely affordable? This is a very ambitious program, and there will be legislation. This is the first step from the Government to solve the nation's #housingaffordabilitycrisis and probably more than any government has done for a long time.   Given the Chancellor's statement yesterday, I wonder who will pay for all the infrastructure and social housing we need. Will it work, I remain sceptical that they can meet these targets in the time frame they have set themselves, but with the urgent need for housing, I look forward to contributing to discussions and making the case for genuine community involvement to help shape where people live. Now to read the documents: https://lnkd.in/eNgNN2y3

Today the Chancellor set out the new Government's ambition to reform planning. These reforms are very welcome, but many will take time to impact on the UK's housing stock. That's why Kane Emerson and John Myers have set out three 'fast wins' to get Britain building. 1️⃣ Learn from Haringey Council and let residents build up. Gentle density is beautiful and practical, allowing home-owners to use their space more efficiently, and providing housing where it is most needed. 2️⃣ Street votes empower communities to encourage densification and value creation. Schemes have been enormously successful in Vancouver, Seoul and Tel Aviv. 3️⃣ Estate renewal should be a top priority for the new government. Ambitious renewal plans can fund new council homes for every existing resident through cross-subsidy, a win-win for councils and communities. Our planning system requires radical reform. But in the meantime, gentle densification can make a real, immediate difference to the UK's housing crisis. Read the full briefing: https://lnkd.in/ep9SJX6k

🌍🏡 Building a Brighter Future for Housing in the UK! 🏡🌍 Today marks a pivotal moment in the UK House of Commons as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner unveiled an ambitious plan to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years. This transformative initiative aims to prioritize locals and first-time buyers, reflecting Angela Rayner’s own journey growing up in a council house. Key Highlights: ✅ 1.5 Million New Homes: A bold commitment to tackle the housing crisis head-on. ✅ Focus on Locals & First-Time Buyers: Ensuring the new generation can step onto the property ladder. ✅ Potential Use of Green Belt Land: Balancing development with environmental considerations. While the plan has sparked enthusiastic support, especially for its innovative approach to green belt land and local housing targets, it has also raised questions about feasibility. Can the private sector and local planning capacities meet such an ambitious target? Beyond housing, this discussion opens a window into broader fiscal challenges: 💼 £22 Billion Deficit: A critical issue that needs addressing. 🏥 Public Spending on Healthcare and Salaries: Essential services that require sustainable funding. The debates underscore the complexities of policy-making and the necessity for transparent, economically sound decisions. Join the conversation and share your thoughts on this ambitious housing plan. How can we collectively support its success while ensuring economic stability? 🤔🏠💬 #HousingCrisis #UKHousing #FirstTimeBuyers #GreenBelt #EconomicStability #PublicSpending #AngelaRayner #FutureOfHousing

Secure the future of England’s council housing.  #SaveCouncilHousing A safe, affordable, and healthy home is the foundation on which happy and successful lives are built. Our new government has committed to delivering the biggest increase to affordable and social housing in a generation. Councils have a critical role to meet this ambition, however, the reality is that our national council housing finances are on the brink. Our five solutions offer the new government an opportunity to turn this around - lifting the council homes we have up to modern, safe, healthy and green standards, and delivering the thousands more council homes that our country urgently needs. By investing in them together, we can transform lives for the better for generations to come. https://lnkd.in/eAnjyM2A

📊Our Planning Application Index, released prior to the recent election, delves into the pressing challenges surrounding housing delivery. Now, with a new government in place, it’s interesting to reflect on the outcomes highlighted in the report. Councillor John Merry, a prominent voice in local government, shares his insights: "With local authority finances under heavy strain, council leaders are consistently being put in a position where they have to make difficult decisions on even statutory services. This research sheds light on one such important service under threat: housing. And it is frustrating yet unsurprising to learn about the situation on the ground, whereby both planning applications as well as building activity for housing developments across England are slowing down." Key Cities, representing 27 urban centres across the UK, believes in granting local authorities the autonomy to drive positive change in their communities. Devolved powers and funding are crucial for long-term prosperity and stability. Given these insights, what do you think the new government will do to address the financial strains on local authorities? Will we see a stronger focus on enabling local authorities to drive housing delivery? ➡️For a detailed analysis of these challenges and more, read the full index report here: https://ow.ly/8MAk50SBnzp #PlanningSystem #EconomicChallenges #IndexReport #LocalGovernment #HousebuildingTargets #CommunityHousing #LocalAuthority

🏘 The Promise vs. The Reality: Angela Rayner and the 1.5M Homes Pledge When it comes to tackling the UK's housing crisis, bold promises grab headlines—but delivering on those promises is where authentic leadership is tested. Angela Rayner's recent commitment to building 1.5 million homes over the next five years is certainly ambitious. However, her track record and current strategies leave serious doubts about whether this goal is realistic or achievable under her leadership. Here's why: 1️⃣ Infrastructure and Land Constraints: The availability of land, outdated planning regulations, and logistical barriers aren't adequately addressed. Where are the plans for systemic reform to unblock these obstacles? 2️⃣ Funding and Resource Allocation: The housing sector requires massive investment and skilled labour, yet we've seen little in terms of robust financial frameworks or a workforce development plan to support such an initiative. 3️⃣ Track Record on Delivery: Past housing pledges have often fallen short due to bureaucratic inefficiencies and a lack of cohesive policy implementation. Will this time be any different? Ambitious housing goals are essential but credible; actionable strategies must underpin them. Without addressing the fundamental issues in planning, funding, and governance, this latest pledge risks becoming another unfulfilled political promise, exacerbating public disillusionment. What do you think? Can we get there with the current approach, or does this plan need a complete overhaul? In addition, The Labour Government's recent budget decisions send shockwaves through the UK builders' merchants sector and the broader housebuilding industry. Rising costs, insufficient support for developers, and a lack of focus on supply chain resilience create uncertainty and slow progress when we need to build more homes than ever. Strong policies are essential to support growth—not stifle it. Time for a rethink? Let's discuss! #HousingCrisis #Leadership #UKHousing #AngelaRayner #PolicyPlanning

Places for People response to Rachel Reeves’ first ministerial statement Scott Black, Chief Operating Officer for Places for People. “Today’s statement from the Chancellor has our unequivocal support, we need more new homes and there is no time to waste. This is one of the most pressing issues for the UK, for economic growth, for families across the UK, and for us all at Place for People, whose mission is to build, help, and support communities across the UK. “The measures Rachel Reeves has announced today are a positive first step for housing of all tenures including much-needed new affordable homes. As well as bringing forward the delivery of new homes, our own ‘Time to Build’ research illustrated that approximately three-quarters of people also want greater investment in local infrastructure to support new housebuilding, which must not be forgotten. “Building must be scaled up now and we are ready to do our part to help. On top of mandatory housebuilding targets and a taskforce to accelerate stalled housing sites, we think more can be done to get Britain building again. “If we are to maximise investment into the sector and tackle the current housing crisis for those most in need, we need certainty and more specifically, confirmation on rent at CPI plus 1% while the financial settlement between Government and housing associations is reviewed. This would provide housing associations nationwide with the stability to invest in the homes they own and to accelerate building new homes.

Did you know that housing affects more than just where we live? It impacts mental health, stability, and community well being. The Plan for Housing campaign from the National Housing Federation highlights this in a powerful way. It calls for a long term, cross sector housing strategy to tackle issues that ripple through all aspects of life. As part of the work of the #APPG on Healthy Healths and Jade Lewis this is a reminder that stable, affordable housing plays a crucial role in people's well being. In construction operations at Equans UK & Ireland, I see how our projects influence this landscape. But the report makes it clear we need more collaborative action to promote sustainable living and support mental health. The idea of a shared vision for better housing is inspiring. It’s a call to action for leaders and professionals to come together and push for policies that make a real difference. What initiatives or ideas do you think could help achieve better housing and improved well being? #PlanForHousing #CommunityWellBeing #MentalHealthAwareness #Sustainability #Leadership

Answering the question of who is to blame for the UK’s current housing crisis is incredibly difficult, due to the number of contributing factors at play - from an archaic, political committee-based planning system, to other stumbling blocks including high interest rates and the ever--increasing build and labour costs. The government’s plan to build 1.5 million homes over the next 5 years sounds good on paper, but when you get into the details, it appears to leave many more questions than it answers - for instance, if this fails to get off the ground in 2025, which wouldn’t be a surprise given the nature of how long these things can take, can we expect the ‘shortfall’ to be made up in the years following? If so, how will this be achieved, given that 300k per year is already beyond anything that’s been managed in the past? And if, come the end of this 5 year term, the targets haven’t been met, will full accountability be taken, or will it simply be blamed on the previous government? Given the urgency of this situation, people have had enough of blame shifting, and now expect to see results. A lot of the government’s focus has been on their ‘brownfield first’ policy, which is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. But there is another key issue which has received significantly less coverage - the number of people leaving the sector as a direct result of the drop in housing output in the past few years. How does the government plan to ensure that there are enough people to build the houses, even if the land is ready and waiting? We hope that, in the coming months, we will receive more clarity on the finer details of the government’s plan. Nobody wants this to succeed more than we do, but blind optimism and unrealistic targets help nobody. #LandDevelopment #JointVentures #CollaborationOpportunities #PropertyDevelopment #Planning #PlanningPermission #ResidentialDevelopment #CommercialDevelopment #MixedUseDevelopment

Angela Rayner just announced proposed reforms to the NPPF and other changes to the planning system. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ea4Qk23q CDF Chair Andrew Lansley said of the announcement: "The development community in Cambridgeshire will welcome the speed and priority which the new Government attaches to promoting house building. We welcome the reversal of the damaging text in the NPPF which treated the Standard Method as a “advisory starting-point”. We in Cambridgeshire are consistently planning to build more homes than the Standard Method and we should continue to relate our local housing need to the evidence of employment growth and lack of affordability for those wanting to buy or rent in our region. Cambridgeshire should continue to be a pathfinder region for the government’s plans for strategic planning, local plan-making using the new system and for tackling water scarcity. We have already been very clear over the last two decades about the purposes of the Green Belt around Cambridge and the new rules should bring national policy closer to our practice locally. The government will need to press on rapidly with consulting on national development management policies, on reform of developer contributions and on setting a new affordable housing programme budget." Be sure to read the draft text for the new NPPF and respond to the consultation via the links below. 👇 Draft text: https://lnkd.in/gu_vtZ2C Consultation: https://lnkd.in/gDCgBj8p