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Councils have "radically reduced" house building targets

Councils across England have “radically reduced” their house building plans, according to research from Policy Exchange.

The think tank say councils are planning to build 272,720 fewer homes, since the abolition of regional planning.

The research cites figures from planning consultancy Tetlow King that indicate housing plans have been reduced since centralised Regional Spatial Strategies were scrapped in 2010.

Policy Exchange argue that while housing targets a seldom met, they govern the release of land for housing.

The report suggests converting more brownfield sites for housing, and increasing the power and number of “neighbourhood plans”, part of the Government’s Localism agenda.

Alex Morton, author of the report said: “The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister have rightly made it clear that we need to build more homes. Yet the government is on track to preside over the lowest level of housebuilding since the 1920s.

“Relying on councils to expand housing targets was a mistake. However, now the Coalition should focus on fixing the multiple failures with the housing market – not fighting councils. This can help us begin to build the homes we need.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .