Independent Review of Build Out Final Report, October 2018
This report takes the view that the pace at which the market can absorb new houses is key; and that this market is limited by the ‘homogeneity of the types and tenures of the houses on offer’.
The report therefore proposes new planning rules, to apply to future large sites (over 1500 units), to require a diversity of offerings.
It proposes incentives (or conditionality) for such sites to meet the new planning policy. It also proposes a ‘small amount of funding’.
The Report further recommends a development role for local planning authorities, not only designating sites, but also to compulsorily purchase land, to propose a master plan, and to establish ‘Local Development Companies’ to carry out this role.
CDF is invited to comment on this report, especially the central contention covering market absorption rates. The Forum is also asked to respond to the question of local authority intervention to this extent.
Subject to the discussion, it is proposed that the Forum propose that, as an area of “high housing demand”, this or alternative approaches be trialled in future large sites, to see what the ‘real world’ responses are to the adoption of these planning policy approaches.
Alternatively, the Forum may wish to invite the Housing Minister (Kit Malthouse) to an early meeting, where the limitations of the LDC and ‘compulsory purchase’ routes to development can be discussed and the best approaches to increasing the conversion from planning approvals to completions can be presented.
