Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said neighbourhood plans have helped housebuilding rates increase by more than 10 per cent…
Giving local communities a say in the future development of their area has increased the amount of housebuilding taking place. Through neighbourhood plans residents can influence where new homes and businesses are built, as well as what local infrastructure is required.
There are over eight million people living in areas involved in neighbourhood planning and according to the figures more than 100 areas have voted yes in neighbourhood planning referendums. The data showed planning approvals for housebuilding were more than 10 per cent higher in the first areas with a neighbourhood plan, compared to those with only the council’s local plan.
Planning permissions have certainly seen an increase, with the National House Building Council (NHBC) reporting new home registration have risen nine percent compared to last year. In fact, across the nation almost 250,000 new homes were granted planning permission in the past year and since 2010 more than one million permissions were given for new homes.
Speaking about the second reading of the Housing and Planning Bill Brandon Lewis said: “This government is continuing the huge shift of power from Whitehall to the town hall and to local people.
“More than eight million people now live in areas that have had or will have their say on planning in their neighbourhood, and more areas are coming forward every day.
“We are scrapping the broken old planning system that pitted neighbours and developers against each other, and cornered people into opposing any development in their back yard.
“The 100 neighbourhood planning referendums show how our approach of getting the whole community working together is paying off, and breaking through local opposition.”
The neighbourhood planning support programme was opened earlier this year. This enabled groups to apply for grants of up to £8,000 to help write their plans, pay for community engagement events, develop websites, and pay for planning expertise. In communities with complex issues the fund available rose to as much as £14,000.
The government is certainly showing significant commitment to getting Britain building and getting people onto the housing ladder. As part of the Housing and Planning Bill the government is pushing for 200,000 affordable starter homes for first time buyers. These will be sold at 20 per cent below market rates.
“The 2008 crash devastated the housebuilding industry, leading to the lowest levels of ‘starts’ for any peacetime year since the 1920s and the loss of a quarter of a million construction jobs,” said Lewis.
“We have got Britain building again, with housing completions at their highest annual level since 2009.
“We know that around 86 per cent of people aspire to own their own home and we want to help turn their dream into a reality.
“That is why we are supporting the building of all types of homes from starter homes for first time buyers to opening up planning reforms to make more custom builds a reality.”
The government has already tried to help create a new generation of homeowners by extending Right to Buy to housing association tenants. While the scheme is filled with controversy it could help numerous people take the first step into homeownership.
To further its mission the government has also launched a new website, www.ownyourhome.gov.uk. This links to a Right to Buy database to enable housing association tenants to register their interest.
The government aims to deliver one million new homes by the end of this parliament. Starter homes, reducing the red tape in the planning process, selling off high value vacant assets, and promoting community involvement in planning are some of the measures that will help with this target.
