Michael Gove yesterday (19/12) unveiled the long-awaited new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which included the scrapping of requirements for local authorities to allocate greenfield land for development and also promised to hold under-performing councils to account to speed up the planning process.
The NPPF also included plans for a “super squad” of planners who would unblock major housing developments, opening a review into the statutory consultee system and making it a requirement for councils to allocate land to SME builders.
The announcement received a mixed response, with critics suggesting that the new NPPF will undermine any attempts to tackle the housing crisis, while others saw it as another missed opportunity.
Marc Vlessing, chief executive officer at Pocket Living, commented: “The decision to disregard the construction industry’s plea for a Small Sites Planning Policy will be the final blow for small builders across the country.”
“All Michael Gove has done is rehash existing policy for small sites, which is delivering next to no development by builders who used to be the backbone of the economy.”
“For over two years, Pocket Living has led a campaign supported by over 70 organisations, including Barratt Homes, the National Housing Federation and the UK’s biggest social landlords calling for action through a dedicated Small Sites Policy which would have prevented dozens of small building companies from going to the wall.”
“Yet, despite this, the Secretary of State has failed to identify a single additional solution that will support the sector. The situation has now reached a critical point, with the number of small builders in London alone declining by 66% since 2007. We therefore urgently call on the Secretary of State to take action before it is too late.”
“This announcement is a scandalous abandonment of small businesses who used to form the core of the Conservative vote.”
Mark White, managing director of Hampshire-based housebuilder, Bargate Homes, said: “The Secretary of State’s long-awaited new NPPF reforms will not adequately address the housing crisis, or achieve sufficient growth across the country. He is playing politics, rather than delivering a strategy that could result in anywhere near the target 300,000 new homes per year being constructed.”
“We welcome the requirement for up-to-date local housing plans and the promised delivery of new infrastructure. And it is certainly encouraging that it will be harder for local authority planning committees to block developments that have been recommended for approval in principle by planning officials. Quick and decisive government intervention is necessary in these circumstances to tackle NIMBYism. But this is a desperate last throw of the dice from what could be an exiting government.”
“While Gove’s brownfield rhetoric is designed to create a buzz when people go to the polling stations next year, I doubt it will deliver any more homes or enhance a sense of neighbourhood. The majority of SME housebuilders specialise in building family homes in suburban and rural areas. There is so much scrub and wasteland in designated greenbelt zones that still can’t be built on, but it’s on sites like this where there is the greatest potential to deliver beautiful homes and enhance communities.”
“High-density development in urban areas might be more desirable to politicians, but it does not favour the SME market. It can often mean cramped ugly buildings that do not suit the requirements of a vast proportion of the population.”
“Regarding biodiversity net gain (BNG), economically, housebuilders need to achieve as much on-site as possible, before looking beyond the development boundary. However, there is little scope to achieve BNG on tight brownfield sites, resulting in a bun-fight between developers to purchase local credits. If BNG credits have to be purchased outside the area, the cost of those credits increases, which impacts project viability. This in turn reduces the provision of much-needed affordable and social housing – at a time when homelessness is at record levels.”
Victoria Du Croz, partner and head of the planning team at law firm, Forsters, said: “It’s telling that Gove says he’s listened to elected representatives in his speech. This really is all about politics. He’s also been listening to local authorities but that’s only half the sector. Developers’ responses to the NPPF consultation came from a place of being involved in the sector day in and day out and wanting to shape genuine reform. He can’t just ignore developers! He hasn’t addressed the fundamental concern that his reforms won’t deliver additional housing.”
