As the government remains committed to supporting local authorities as they build more homes, the Local Government Association has outlined how all councils should be given the freedom to deliver.
This comes as the LGA has set out a number of ideas relating to how local and central government can work together to provide more housing, especially when it comes to social and affordable stock.
According to the LGA, planning permission should not be a barrier to building more homes, as local authorities are approving almost 90% of applications, however, it does raise concerns around mandatory housing targets. This is especially applicable if this approach isn’t supported by the delivery of necessary infrastructure.
Further warnings have also been raised in relation to the methodology that is being used to determine mandatory housing targets, with this holding the potential to lead to ‘unintended consequences’ like speculative unplanned developments that are not supported by the infrastructure that is required to properly support communities.
As councils play a key part in the mission to tackle the housing crisis, the organisation has stated that councils – and the communities they represent – know areas better than anyone else, and they are in the best position to make judgements on housing and infrastructure delivery. This means that national planning policy should remain flexible enough to allow communities to be created with links to the right economic activity and services.
The Local Government Association’s Housing Spokesperson, Cllr Adam Hug, said:
“Our message to Government is simple: work with us and give us the tools to build the homes our country needs. There is a strong appetite across local government to work constructively to improve coverage of local plans and encourage housebuilding, including the vital need to deliver more homes for social rent and homes which are genuinely affordable.
“However, councils and local communities know their local areas best and need to be full partners in tackling the housing crisis together, with new development supported by the infrastructure needed to make communities thrive and proper consultation and engagement that can help ensure local people are able to benefit.
“Councils need the right powers, skills, resources and funding to act and want to work with government and the development and housebuilding industry.”
Another recommendation included in the LGA’s National Planning Policy Framework consultation response sets out how councils should be allowed to decide their own planning application fees, with this supporting planning departments that might be facing resourcing and capacity constraints. Should councils be given the power to determine their own fees, the shortfall in planning operations can be addressed, and better value can be offered for the taxpayer.
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