Aston Mead hits back at ‘planning pessimists’

Leading land agent Aston Mead has hit back at those who have doubted the ability of the UK to build a million new homes by 2020.

The pledge is at the heart of the government’s landmark Housing & Planning Bill, which received Royal Assent earlier this month. However, a recent survey of owners and directors of 389 housebuilders across England indicated that just over half (51%) thought the target would not be met.

Aston Mead Land & Planning Director Adam Hesse said: “The danger is that the planning pessimists out there will create a self-fulfilling prophecy. A million homes by 2020 is perfectly possible – as the Home Builders Federation have stated quite clearly. But it will need conviction and commitment, as well as further government policies in favour of development, and help to speed up the planning process.

“We’ve already seen huge increases in output, with build rates on large sites doubling since 2010. There were more than 180,000 new homes delivered in 2014/15, with this year’s figure expected to be higher still. And by 2019 the big companies will be building double what they did six years ago. Now we need to speed up the momentum even further, so that we ensure we reach the target of one million new homes by 2020.”

Despite his optimism, Adam Hesse says that the industry needs to see more land coming through the planning system, and processes that support both large and smaller house builders.

He explained: “Several significant advances have happened already. Brownfield sites will now automatically be approved for building, with £10m worth of funding to help local authorities prepare them. There are also plans to relax the planning rules for smaller house builders, enabling them to gain automatic planning permission on suitable sites. And changes to the section 106 agreement will enable developers to provide affordable homes to buy, instead of affordable homes for rent.

“But it’s local councils – the largest landowners in the country – which will be key to the success of this project. They must get up-to-date housing plans in place, ensuring that they are robust and evidence-based. They should review their planning application process and the conditions attached to planning which represent such a major challenge for developers. Plus they need to streamline their planning processes and improve communication so that once approved, building can get underway quickly.

“For their part, house builders are already investing in their supply chains and have taken on tens of thousands of new workers to ensure there is the capacity and skills required. All we need now is the conviction and commitment to carry it off.”

Breaking news from Property Publicity – Eric Dixon eric@propertypublicity.co.uk

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

Letting Agency Owners: Are You the Bottleneck in Your Business?

As a letting agency owner, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wearing too many hats. But it’s not just exhaustion and burnout you need to worry about – it’s the impact it’s having on your bottom-line. Guest Blog By Sally Lawson – Agent Rainmaker “From managing client relationships and handling operations, to overseeing…
Read More
Breaking News

Latest developments in Renters’ Rights Bill: What landlords need to know

On the brink of becoming law, the Government last week rejected the majority of amendments put forward by the House of Lords, which would have mitigated the severity of some of the amendments. Property professionals, landlords and tenants are poised to navigate this once-in-a-generation overhaul of housing legislation.   Lucy Jones, Chief Operating Officer at…
Read More
Breaking News

What Will Commonhold Mean for Property Managers?

By Robert Poole, Director – Block Management, Glide Property Management, part of LRG The government’s ambition to end leasehold for most residential properties has put commonhold back into the spotlight. First introduced in 2002, commonhold offered a resident-led alternative to traditional leasehold ownership. However, legal and commercial complexity stalled adoption. Two decades later, policymakers are…
Read More
Breaking News

Think You Know Mortgages? These 5 Myths Could Be Costing You Money

When it comes to mortgages, most of us have had advice from family and friends. The trouble is, a lot of these so-called facts are myths, with many individuals missing out on better deals or opportunities, due to not doing their own due diligence. Emma Graham, Business Development Director at Hodge Bank, explained: “Mortgages are…
Read More
Breaking News

Just 17% of homes selling for more than £500k

The latest analysis by eXp UK has revealed that while just 17.4% of homes sold across England and Wales so far this year achieved a price of £500,000 or more, agents in London, the South East, and the East of England will face the greatest need to adapt should the Government press ahead with plans…
Read More
Breaking News

Estate agents back Rachel Reeves’ stamp duty shake-up but call for abolition without replacement tax

The latest research from GetAgent has revealed that the majority of estate agents in England are supportive of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans to overhaul property taxation by scrapping Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). However, 44% argue that the new levy should be focused only on higher-value homes, while 79% favour abolishing SDLT outright without introducing…
Read More