Marvellous aspirations all. But there is little difference here from the current government’s planning policy, under which planning consents have fallen. Without changes, it is hard to see where a significant boost to supply could come from.
So where does that leave Labour? An immediate restoration of mandatory housing targets and strengthening of the presumption in favour of development. A brownfield first approach, but alongside a release of newly designated ‘grey belt’ land in the green belt. A new generation of new towns, together with urban extensions and regeneration. More planning officers funded by more stamp duty for overseas buyers. The promise of cross boundary strategic planning.
It looks like they have been thinking about this for some time.
The big question is how effective this can be, against a desire to deliver more affordable and social housing but without the promise of increased grant funding. Something has to give.
And it seems like Labour are looking to land values, especially given proposals to change compulsory purchase compensation rules for (unspecified) specific types of development.
The balance here is in ensuring there remains sufficient financial incentive for landowners to play ball.
All a salutary reminder that delivering the right homes of the right tenure in the right places is, to quote Jean-Baptiste Colbert, a case of “plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing”. We are going to need a lot of geese.
Lucian Cook is head of residential research at Savills UK
