Steve Reed, the new housing secretary, has pledged to “double down” on the government’s housebuilding plans during a meeting with key industry members.
In a meeting with the housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, the Home Builders Federation and housebuilders including, Barratt Redrow, Vistry, Persimmon and The Hill Group, Reed discussed how the government can remove barriers to building to help “get spades in the ground quicker”. The housing secretary and minister committed to working with industry leaders to change planning practices in order to boost housebuilding and help achieve the government’s target of building 1.5 million homes in this parliament.
Reed said: “We are doubling down on our plans to unleash one of the biggest eras of building in our country’s history and we are backing the builders all the way.”
“Through major planning reform and investment, we will break down the barriers to development and build the 1.5 million homes this country needs as part of our Plan for Change.”
He said that the government wanted to “build baby, build, so we can put the key to a decent home into the hands of every single family that needs it”.
Steve Reed appointed as new housing secretary
The meeting comes ahead of an anticipated raft of new measures in the next weeks and months, which will likely include updates on the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill reaching Royal Assent and announcements regarding the New Towns programme.
Reed took up the role of housing secretary on 5 September as part of a cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of housing secretary and deputy leader, Angela Rayner.
