South Kesteven District Council among 60 councils criticised in new report on housing crisis
The construction industry says housebuilders aren't able to match demand because of barriers such as outdated planning systems
A cross-industry paper is criticising nearly 60 councils including South Kesteven District Council.
The report highlights the councils in the area for suspending their development plans for new homes, further delaying government targets and taking us further away from building the 4.3 million homes needed in England to meet demand.
The report states the current planning system is “broken” and government approach is “scattergun” – with all parties promising reform but none providing comprehensive plans.
It also states the sector faces uncertainty, with the country having 15 housing ministers since 2010.
A cross industry body of key players in the construction industry has published a white-paper setting out – for the first time – a comprehensive framework for addressing the housing crisis, as they say the government has failed to produce one itself.
The ‘Solving the UK’s Housing Shortage’ white paper, published by digital marketplace for specialist property finance, Brickflow, has been developed with input from 12 influential industry leaders from across the private sector, including Knight Frank and PwC.
The white paper outlines multiple challenges facing the sector including planning, land supply, funding, development incentives, supply chain, environmental demands and affordability – and identifies a framework of solutions that address those challenges.
The statistics reveal 4.75 million homes are needed across the UK (4.3 million in England), only 0.2% of land in England is vacant to build on, and since July this year, 58 local authorities have suspended their development plans, illustrate why such a framework is so vital to getting Britain building again.
Housebuilders have not been able to match demand or (now-scrapped) government targets, due to barriers including: outdated planning processes, a shortage of land and funding, environmental issues and more recently, end-buyer affordability.
All the major political parties have made promises around reforming the sector at recent party conferences, including Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to build the ‘next generation’ of new towns and 1.5 million new homes as part of ‘a decade of renewal under Labour’. The government believes focusing on housing and providing more new homes will be the most efficient way to level up the country and reduce inequality.
South Kesteven District Council said:
"We are waiting for housebuilders to come forward and would welcome credible plans for developments in South Kesteven. There is no shortage of sites waiting to be developed in the District.
South Kesteven District Council has an up-to-date Local Plan, can demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, and has been making good progress with an early review of the plan.
Consultation on the Draft Local Plan was initially delayed in March 2023 due to proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), however the government has not yet indicated when the updated NPPF will be published.
As a result South Kesteven District Council has decided to move forward and consult on the Draft Local Plan in Winter 2023, as timetabled in the Local Development Scheme that was published in May.
The Local Development Scheme indicates submission of the Local Plan to the Secretary of State by Winter 2024, with adoption expected in Spring 2026."
A Government spokesperson said:
“We are on track to in meet our manifesto commitment of building one million homes over this Parliament.
“We have announced £10 billion investment to increase housing supply since the start of this Parliament and our long-term housing plan will allow us to go further and build the homes we need.”