Is the housing crisis returning as a Government priority?

Planning reform will go a long way to helping solve the housing and skills crisis.

Addressing the policy conference of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), Housing Secretary James Brokenshire set out what the Government is doing to tackle the housing shortage and improve the quality of new homes.

Brokenshire emphasised:

  • the need to reduce planning delays;
  • increase the capability of local planning departments;
  • improve procedure to accelerate the end-to-end planning process; and
  • planning reform.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) welcomes Brokenshire’s speech, particularly since it seems to suggest that housing may be returning as a priority for the Government.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “The housing crisis is the greatest challenge to social equality that we have in the UK. The Government must prioritise it. By building more and understanding how we physically get more quality homes built, we can make really positive changes to our communities.”

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy at the House Builders Association, said: “When ministers utter the words, planning reform, the industry gets quite excited. Getting permission to build is a painful, slow and desperate process, especially for SMEs.

Addressing the policy conference of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), Housing Secretary James Brokenshire set out what the Government is doing to tackle the housing shortage and improve the quality of new homes.

Brokenshire emphasised:

  • the need to reduce planning delays;
  • increase the capability of local planning departments;
  • improve procedure to accelerate the end-to-end planning process; and
  • planning reform.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) welcomes Brokenshire’s speech, particularly since it seems to suggest that housing may be returning as a priority for the Government.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “The housing crisis is the greatest challenge to social equality that we have in the UK. The Government must prioritise it. By building more and understanding how we physically get more quality homes built, we can make really positive changes to our communities.

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy at the House Builders Association, said: “When ministers utter the words, planning reform, the industry gets quite excited. Getting permission to build is a painful, slow and desperate process, especially for SMEs. Reforming it will go a long way to helping solve the housing and skills crisis.

National Federation of Builders

The National Federation of Builders is a United Kingdom trade association representing the interests of small and medium-sized building contractors in England and Wales.

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

Landlord returns reach almost 7% in some areas

Landlord returns reach almost 7% in strongest rental markets, but protecting those returns is just as important as generating them   The latest analysis by The Letting Partnership has revealed that rental yields are reaching almost 7% in England’s strongest-performing markets, but the firm has warned landlords that generating a healthy return is only half the equation,…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Portfolio landlords now control almost half of England’s private rentals

A changing landlord landscape is being shaped by wealth creation, lifestyle flexibility and a more professional approach to property investment. A new generation of investors are entering the market driven by long-term wealth creation, lifestyle flexibility and a more business-minded approach to property ownership, according to John Minnis estate agents. While the latest English Private…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Commuter growth peaks in the north as Manchester and Glasgow lead the way

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove, reveals the commuter hotspots around six major cities where average asking prices are rising the fastest Affordable commuter locations around Glasgow and Manchester lead house price growth Falkirk, Stirlingshire, has the highest price growth at +13.5%, with an average asking price of £183,596 While asking prices…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Castles, cottages, vineyards and barn conversions

The latest data from LandSale has revealed what buyers can expect to pay, and how much they can get for their money if they want to escape to the country, with castles, vineyards, barn conversions, and cottages currently offering very different routes to rural living. The analysis draws on LandSale’s internal listing data and examines…
Read More
Breaking News

Poor property maintenance could wipe £59,000 in value

The latest research by property management specialist, Rushbrook, has revealed that landlords who fail to adequately maintain their rental properties could see as much as £30,172 wiped from the value of the average buy-to-let investment across England, with this potential loss climbing to almost £59,000 in London.   Rushbrook analysed landlord-specific property values across each…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 20/8/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why Angela Rayner Housing Secretary is in the wrong job – again   A smile, bluster and vague soundbites will not solve the UK housing crisis  Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton – CEO Proptech-PR  ‘I have been involved in the UK property industry since the mid 1980’s…
Read More