Property companies see planning restrictions, a lack of a skilled workforce and population growth as the biggest factors jeopardising the government’s lofty housebuilding targets, Propertymark research found.
The government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill has now passed its second reading in parliament. The bill is designed to solve these problems by reforming planning committees, as detailed here.
Nathan Emerson, chief executive at Propertymark, said: “While the housing goals of various government are admirable and ambitious, they must also be realistic and provide the homes that the UK housing market needs to stabilise house prices in the long-term.
“It is vital to ensure that there is a skilled workforce in place ready to construct those homes, alongside the necessary planning reforms that can speed up building more homes without paving over Green Belt areas.
“The must be wide ranging engagement with all key stakeholders to help ensure a unified, collaborative and coordinated approach that keeps pace with ever increasing housing demand.
“Ultimately, there must be wide ranging political cooperation to ensure continuity for the long term, should there be any change in government at any future general election.”
The UK government plans to build 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029.
Meanwhile, the Scottish government intends to construct 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10% will be in rural and island communities.
The Welsh government has an ongoing target to construct 20,000 new homes by 2026.
The Department for Communities’ Housing Supply Strategy 2024 – 2039, which was approved by the Northern Irish Executive on 5 December 2024, provides a 15-year framework to construct 100,000 new social and private homes by 2039.
