Deputy leader of the opposition Angela Rayner announced a New Towns Code, as part of a planned 1.5m new homes built over five years
Speaking at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) event in Leeds today (21st May), shadow housing secretary and deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner announced that Labour is setting a 40% target of affordable housing as part of the New Towns Code.
In her speech, Rayner identified “around 8.5m people with some kind of unmet housing need” and said the planning system has become “gummed up.”
She went on to say that “getting applications over the line can be like swimming through treacle, and it’s absolutely right that local people get a say, but a failing system is not in the local or national interest.
“Fewer than 70,000 planning applications were approved in the last quarter of 2023, the worst period on record, with fewer developments green-lit than during the height of the pandemic.”
Part of Labour’s plans for answering the UK’s housing crisis is a wave of new settlements of housing with amenities and transport connections, which will adhere to the ‘New Towns Code’.
The New Towns Code will require:
- More social and affordable homes – with a gold standard aim of 40 per cent
- Buildings with character, in tree-lined streets that fit in with nearby areas
- Design that pays attention to local history and identity
- Planning fit for the future, with good links to town and city centres
- Guaranteed public transport and public services, from doctors’ surgeries to schools
- And access to nature, parks, and places for children to play.
Labour’s wider housing policy- should they win in the general election due this year- was reportedly inspired “from the 1945 Labour Government”.
Rayner’s speech indicated it would include:
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- Reintroducing local housing targets and empowering regional and local leaders to deliver
- Establishing an “expert independent taskforce” to identify hosuing sites and projects to be delivered in the first 12 months of Government
- Banning no faults evicitons- “no ifs no buts”- and giving first-time buyers “first dibs” on new developments in their communities, as well as a comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme
- Ending the “medieval” leasehold system
- And developing new policies for planting trees, restoring habitats and aiding wildlife.
RTPI: A well-resourced planning system will be integral to success
Victoria Hills, chief executive of the RTPI, said: “New Towns demonstrate how a better resourced planning system has supported housing delivery more proactively in the past and could help to fix our nation’s housing crisis in future.
“However, if an incoming Government wants to hit the ground running, they’d do well to utilise the existing substantial powers and levers and invest in well-resourced planning teams. Speed is of the essence but so is the need to deliver homes that are well designed, meet net zero requirements, are connected to jobs and transport, and are adequately served by public services. This requires comprehensive master planning that our members stand ready to deliver.
“Development Corporations and Councils will need the support of expert planners to put this New Towns Code into practice and to ensure new communities, regeneration schemes, and urban extensions are built promptly.
“A stronger devolved framework for strategic planning, championed by Mayors, would also be needed to realise the full value of new investments and infrastructure improvements delivered alongside homes and make space for places to continue growing.”
“Today’s plan outlines some positive first steps”
RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said: “Given the scale and complexity of the housing crisis, commitments to deliver new well-designed, high quality and sustainable homes and places at scale are welcome.
“Architects stand ready to design the millions of high quality affordable new homes required and, as today’s announcement acknowledges, we will prioritise access to green spaces, transport, and social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals – all vital for people and places to thrive.
“Delays in the planning system have held up necessary development for too long. Measures to unlock brownfield and grey belt land and work alongside local leaders, to speed up delivery of homes where they are needed most, is a vital step.
“But to make this happen, the Government must comprehensively resource local planning departments with the skills and expertise needed to ensure all new homes are up to standard.
“Today’s plan outlines some positive first steps. We will work with whomever forms the next Government to deliver the homes we deserve.”
“Private investment will drive the growth of new communities”
Lawrence Turner, director, Boyer said: “The political hurdles that come with development on the edge of settlements and the release of Green Belt, is something that has been very difficult for the incumbent Government to deliver. Conservative voters, who tend to live and oppose development in these areas, have been a significant roadblock to progress for the Government over the last 14 years.
“The decision by Labour to reclassify low-quality areas of Green Belt land for development, known as Grey Belt, is a controversial move that will likely face opposition from environmental groups and local residents. However, it is a necessary first step to release the most sustainably located land for much-needed housing. Tough decisions like this will be crucial if Labour is to meet its ambitious housing targets.
“It is also vital that Labour works with the private sector to fund the development of these new towns. While the Government can provide support and incentives for developers to build affordable housing, ultimately it will be private investment that drives the growth of new communities. By creating a positive environment for developers and ensuring that land values reflect the need to build affordable housing, New Towns can make significant progress in addressing the housing crisis.”
