Building homes faster

The Deputy Prime Minister has urged developers to “Get on and build” as here.

The Government wants views on a Planning Reform Working Paper ‘Speeding Up Build Out’, with eleven questions.

Councils will get new powers to keep housebuilders on track with build rates set before planning permission is granted. Developers who repeatedly fail to construct approved schemes or trade land speculatively could face a new ‘Delayed Homes Penalty’, be locked out of future permissions or have their sites acquired by councils. Annual reports on progress will have to be made.

Where more than 40% of homes are affordable, build-out is twice as fast. The government is therefore also testing a new requirement for large sites to be mixed tenure by default.