More than three quarters of planning committee members surveyed said the government’s 1.5 million homes target is “unachievable,” according to the results of a new survey.
Skills shortages within the construction industry was identified as the primary reason for the anticipated failure, followed by land banking by developers. Just 3% of the 485 respondents said the planning system itself “cannot cope”.
Planning committee members taking part in this year’s survey also raised concerns about the return to mandatory housing targets, with 63% opposed to this move and 73% objecting to how targets were calculated using existing housing stock.
Over 90% said the housing crisis has worsened, with 77% categorising it as “severe”, leading the report to conclude that there is a “significant disconnect between national policy ambitions and the realities faced by those on the front lines of planning and delivery”.
Perry Miller, head of advocacy local at SEC Newgate, said: “Councillors are very clear that addressing the root causes of the failure to build enough homes is essential if the housing crisis is to be meaningfully addressed and the government is to achieve its ambitious housing target.”
What are the biggest challenges to housing delivery?
68%
Slow build-out by developers
58%
Lack of funding for affordable housing
55%
Community opposition to schemes
47%
Lack of suitable sites in local area
45%
Resourcing issues in the planning team
29%
Submitted schemes do not align with the character of local area
27%
Policy constraints .e.g. Green Belt
23%
Lack of up-to-date Local Plan
23%
Slow response from statutory consultees
19%
Submitted schemes are not in the Local Plan
18%
Insufficient communication between key parties in the planning policy
18%
Lack of schemes coming forward
17%
Submitted schemes are not compliant with planning policy
16%
Other
3%
Not applicable: housing delivery is on target in my authority area
2%
Respondents could select more than one answer
Angela Rayner could lose housing brief – Sky News
