Among its many planning system proposals outlined earlier this year was using the computer process to set local targets for how many homes should be built. The proposal would have seen large increases in building in rural areas of the South East and East of England, and sparked opposition from many Conservative MPs.
Construction News’s sister title the Local Government Chronicle reported in September that local council leaders feared the move would jeopardise Whitehall’s levelling-up agenda by increasing building targets in the South and lowering them in the North.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has today announced that the biggest cities in England will be the primary focus of its plans to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the middle of the decade, with brownfield and urban sites eyed for development. It is also planning to fund more schemes outside London and the South East.
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “We want this to be an opportunity for a new trajectory for our major cities – one which helps to forge a new country beyond COVID – which is more beautiful, healthier, more prosperous, more neighbourly and where more people have the security and dignity of a home of their own.”
He said the department will allocate more than £67m of funding to the West Midlands and Greater Manchester mayoral combined authorities to help them deliver new homes on brownfield land. It had previously announced a separate £100m for brownfield development, which was confirmed today.
Federation of Master Builders chief executive Brian Berry said: “Building on brownfield land helps protect green spaces while unlocking the new homes that we desperately need. Small to medium-sized house builders (SMEs) train 71 per cent 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.”