The government has announced that it will work to unblock thousands of new homes, as it looks to achieve its goal of ending the housing crisis and driving economic growth.
Thanks to the New Homes Accelerator, those that are stuck in the planning system or currently partially built will be unlocked through the removal of red tape. Key collaborators such as local councils, government agencies and housebuilders will be brought together to resolve specific local issues that are holding back the delivery of housing, and work through blockages at individual sites.
According to government analysis, 200 large sites are already ready to go ahead with building but have yet to begin construction due to these blockages, and the Accelerator will focus on supporting those sites through the deployment of planning experts – bringing early intervention and a helping hand for communities that need new homes.
This will not only support the government’s aim of driving economic growth locally and nationally, but also work to end the housing crisis that is currently affecting the nation.
Speaking about this development, Deputy Prime Minister Angela 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.”
After the Accelerator was announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech outlining the government’s mission for growth, work has already begun to progress across Liverpool, Worcester, Northstowe and Sutton Coldfield, with this supporting the delivery of more than 14,000 homes, whilst more than 10,000 can be unlocked as acceleration plans get underway across Leicestershire, Essex and Central Bedfordshire.
Alongside the announcement of this drive, the government has launched a call for evidence from local authorities, landowners, and housebuilders to identify sites that are blocked thanks to significant planning issues. This will allow the government to improve its understanding of the full scale of the issue across the country.
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