WHO'S COUNTING?

摘要

200,000 new homes has been the magic number for annual housing delivery for successive governments -many will recall similar pledges made by then deputy prime minister John Prescott at the beginning of the millennium. Each time a government focuses on the need to increase the housing supply, the planning system bears the brunt of the changes. Such is the case with the most recent housing "crusade" promised by the government and its pledge of 200,000 starter homes. It has long been the complaint of housebuilders that the planning system is costly and riddled with delays hampering housing delivery. The coalition government introduced changes to the planning regime during the last parliament and were responsible for the introduction of the Localism Act under which local neighbourhood plans were introduced and communities encouraged to participate in local development orders and community rights to build. Most significantly of course the community infrastructure levy was introduced to deal with the age-old complaint that entering into section 106 agreements caused delay; and the National Planning Policy Framework was brought in to enable the government to affect planning policy in a much more immediate way.