UK government pledges to unblock hundreds of stalled housing construction projects

The plan involves a team from the Ministry of Housing and housing agency Homes England working with local councils to accelerate the buildout of schemes either stuck in the planning system or partially built.

Under the so-called New Homes Accelerator, the government plans to “lend a helping hand to frustrated housebuilders and local communities who want to play their part to get Britain building again”.

Government analysis suggests that 200 large sites have outline or detailed plans but have yet to start construction. Together, they have the potential to unlock 300,000 new dwellings, it claimed.

And it offered examples of three sites - Stretton Hall in Leicestershire, Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community in Essex, and Biggleswade Garden Community in Central Bedfordshire – that could unlock more than 10,000 new homes when completed.

The new Labour government, headed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, set out a target to build 1.5 million more new homes over the next five years in its 2024 manifesto. The previous Conservative government had a target to build 300,000 new homes a year but failed to get close to that figure.

Industry commentators have suggested expressed skepticism that the target is achievable, and new figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that there were only 38,400 new dwellings completed in the first quarter of 2024. Continuing at that rate, there would be fewer than 154,00 completions by the end of the year – only slightly over half what the government is targeting.

The government yesterday announced that it has launched a call for evidence asking landowners, local authorities and housebuilders to come forward with details of blocked sites that have significant planning issues so that it can understand the scale of the problem across the country.

Rayner said, “For far too long the delivery of tens of thousands of new homes has been held back by a failure to make sure the development system is working as it should.

“This government has a moral obligation to do everything within our power to build the homes that people desperately need and we won’t hesitate to intervene where we need to.

“Our New Homes Accelerator will quickly identify blockages, fix problems and support local authorities and developers to get shovels in the ground.”

David O’Leary, executive director of the Home Builders Federation said, “The planning process and everything associated with it delivers too little land and has long been a significant constraint on house building. Government has shown a welcome desire in the weeks since the election to address the problems. A lack of planning department capacity and misaligned incentives for other public bodies and statutory consultees has created a process with huge uncertainty. This creates an abundance of risk resulting in longer development timescales and severe challenges in particular for small and medium-sized house builders.

“Adopting a pragmatic approach to planning will increase the pace at which new homes are built and help to turn around ailing housing supply. Unlocking homes and delivering new communities will boost growth and support job creation while providing young people with access to new, more affordable housing. The housing market is complex and we look forward to working with government to ensure that all aspects of the housing market are functioning more effectively.”