Before today’s local elections in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Hull and East Yorkshire, Greater Lincolnshire and west of England, the federation of housing builders is asking the incoming mayors to take bold and immediate measures to face the ongoing housing crisis.
The elections have a fundamental moment for the new mayors to take advantage of the powers granted by the English return bill and the draft planning and infrastructure law as part of the government’s return agenda. These powers have the potential to unlock the supply of housing so necessary, boost economic growth and improve the quality of life of local residents.
The housing construction industry is at the forefront of addressing the housing crisis, providing very necessary new homes and half or all new affordable homes. However, the industry faces significant barriers, including delays in the planning process, the lack of offers for section 106 affordable housing units of registered suppliers and insufficient support for buyers for the first time.
In response to these challenges, the Federation of Housing Builders has published a mayor manifesto for the mayors of the combined authority that describes a series of strategic recommendations. The manifesto emphasizes the importance of taking imedies to address housing needs and describes how mayors can take advantage of their new powers to boost housing delivery and regional development.
The first priority, outlined in the manifesto, is the immediate preparation of a spatial development strategy (SDS), before the government’s requirements. This would avoid unnecessary adoption delays when legislation is approved. Local authorities must also continue working on their local plans in parallel, which guarantees that housing needs are at all levels.
In addition to strategic planning, the HBF manifesto encourages mayors to use their full range of powers to accelerate housing delivery. This includes intervening when local councils have a lower performance, using corporations or development orders of mayor to unlock land and establish a house builder panel to improve communication with housing builders and address challenges directly.
A greater focus on a mixture of diverse homes is also essential. The manifesto requires mayors to establish ambitious objectives for developments from small sites, partly in locations well served by public transport. Small sites, or overlooked in larger planning schemes, offer valuable homes, support smaller housing builders and increase local economies.
The manifesto also requires greater flexibility in the provision of affordable homes. Due to the increase in regulatory costs and challenges, many housing associations cannot commit to acquire affordable housing units of schemes led by developers. To address this, HBF recommends that mayors work with local authorities to allow more flexible possession mixtures and support mechanisms within section 106 agreements.
HBF encourages mayors to also prioritize environmental and infrastructure objectives. The manifesto suggests that mayors develop local nature recovery strategies to support biodiversity and meet environmental objectives, helping to facilitation of net biodiversity gain outside the site. In addition, investment in public transport infrastructure, essential to open new areas for housing development and improve accessibility for local communities.
The manifesto emphasizes the importance of addressing the skills gap in the construction industry. Mayors must use powers on education and local training to ensure that conferences and training suppliers are aligned with the needs of the local real estate market. By supporting the development of specific construction skills, mayors can help create a sustainable workforce that can meet the growing demand for new homes.
For the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region, the specific manifesto addresses the issue of water scarcity, which has been an important barrier for housing development. The Environment Agency has raised Conerns about the capacity of water companies to serve new developments, which leads to delays in the construction of thousands of homes. HBF recommends that the new mayor summons an action group with interested parties such as housing builders, local authorities, water companies and the Environment Agency to find long -term solutions for this problem.
Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive At the Home Builders Federation, Says “The Upcoming Local Elections are a crucial turning point for Tackling the Housing Crisis. The Powers Granteed Through the English Dolition Bill Game Game Game Game Game Billage Billage Billstructure Billstructure and The Used Constructure and The USED Constructure and the used buildure and the used constructure and the used buildure and the used constructure and the planning and the used buildure and the planing and the used construction and the planning and construction injury injury and the brushing lowage invoice.
“This is the time for incoming mayors to take bold and immediate measures and unlock the housing potential of their regions when boarding the barriers for housing, either delays in the planning or shortage of affordable housing, or the need for greater flexibility in finance.
“By taking quick and decisive measures now, mayors can offer stability, growth and houses that our communities need desperately, everything while putting power to shape the future firmly in their hands.”
