Greater than 1.1m properties that obtained planning permission in England over the past decade are but to be constructed, in accordance with the Native Authorities Affiliation, which referred to as for brand new powers to be given to councils to encourage builders to construct housing extra rapidly.
The LGA, which represents 327 of the 333 councils in England, mentioned that 2.78m properties have been granted planning permission by councils since 2010/11, however over the identical interval only one.6m have been constructed. The variety of planning consents granted for brand new properties has greater than doubled since 2010, with 9 in 10 planning purposes being accredited by councils.
The LGA mentioned the Queen’s speech ought to embrace laws that allows councils to cost builders full council tax for each unbuilt improvement when the unique planning permission expires.
The federal government must also make it simpler for councils to make use of obligatory buy powers to accumulate stalled housing websites, or websites the place builders don’t construct to timescales agreed with an area planning authority.
Builders have ramped up homebuilding in recent times for the reason that hunch attributable to the 2009 monetary disaster, with completions reaching 210,600 in 2019-20 – the very best degree previously 10 years. However this falls far wanting constructing the 300,000 properties a 12 months the federal government has pledged.
The House Builders Federation denied that builders had been sitting on land unnecessarily. Andrew Whitaker, its planning director, mentioned: “While housing provide has doubled in recent times the planning course of stays the largest constraint on additional will increase.
“Lots of the properties included in these numbers could have really been accomplished or are on websites the place development work is ongoing. Others will solely have an preliminary consent and be struggling their approach by way of the treacle of the native authority planning departments to get to the purpose the place builders are allowed begin work.”
Joshua Carson, head of coverage on the consultancy Blackstock, mentioned: “The notion of builders ‘sitting on planning permissions’ has been taken out of context. It takes a substantial size of time to agree the availability of latest infrastructure on strategic websites for housing and in depth negotiation with councils to discharge planning circumstances earlier than properties might be constructed.”
The LGA says solely by constructing extra council properties can the housing disaster be tackled and the federal government’s housebuilding goal be met. It’s calling for councils to be given the powers to kickstart a social housebuilding programme of 100,000 properties a 12 months. Polling by the affiliation has discovered that 80% of MPs and 88% of friends assume councils ought to have extra monetary freedoms and powers to construct new properties.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s housing spokesperson, mentioned: “It’s good the variety of properties constructed every year is growing. However by giving councils the appropriate powers to incentivise builders to get constructing as soon as planning permission has been granted, we will go additional and quicker … We want the Queen’s speech to ship the reform wanted to allow councils to deal with the housing disaster.”
Whittaker mentioned: “We might welcome a contribution by native authorities in direction of housing provide however no matter who builds the homes, proof clearly reveals that if we’re to achieve the 300,000 goal many extra permissions will should be granted. It’s vital that planning departments are sufficiently resourced and that purposes are processed effectively in order that work can start on websites extra rapidly.”
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