Government measures to regenerate high streets , as well as self and custom-builders, are welcome boosts to tackling the housing crisis and construction activity, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), in response to new measures from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
New measures to level up England’s cities, recover from the pandemic, and help provide much-needed new homes have been set out by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick.
Following a consultation launched in the summer that sought views from planners, councils and the wider public, the government has planned to deliver more homes across England.
A housing need formula is currently used to provide a starting point in local planning for new homes. An updated method will now be introduced to help councils deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s, while prioritising brownfield sites and urban areas.
Under the proposals, cities will be encouraged to plan for more family homes, and to make the most of vacant buildings and underused land to protect green spaces.
The plans will encourage more homes to be built in England’s 20 largest cities and urban centres, boosting local economies by supporting jobs in the building sector, and revitalising high streets with the footfall new residents bring.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “The government wants to build more homes as a matter of social justice, for intergenerational fairness, and to create jobs for working people. We are reforming our planning system to ensure it is simpler and more certain without compromising standards of design, quality and environmental protection.”
Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, added: “Facilitating a more diverse housing market is key to fixing the housing crisis. Our high streets have suffered through the pandemic, but converting vacant buildings or underused commercial spaces into homes is an important way of breathing new life into our town centres.
“The FMB has long advocated for local authorities to facilitate and coordinate the conversion of empty spaces above shops into flats by quality builders. This should form part of the new proposals.”
Brian concluded: “Building on brownfield land helps protect green spaces while unlocking the new homes that we desperately need. Small to medium-sized housebuilders (SMEs) train 71% of apprentices and build high quality homes, so making the funding accessible to them is crucial to building back better.
“The government will not be able to meet its target of building 300,000 new homes a year without reversing the decline in SME house builders and bringing forward a more diverse housing market.”
