Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Strategy. Read the original article for full details.
Burnham Pledges Major Council House Building and Planning Reform
Andy Burnham, the new MP for Makerfield and expected to become the next UK prime minister, has pledged the largest council house building programme since the post-war period. In a speech at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, Burnham outlined a “new direction” for UK housing policy, focusing on tackling the “housing trap” and increasing housing supply.
Burnham’s proposals include using publicly owned brownfield land for development, prioritising higher-density housing in towns, and linking new housing to wider regeneration efforts. He emphasised the need to avoid prioritising greenfield development.
Housebuilding was a key policy in Sir Keir Starmer’s 2024 general election manifesto, which included a pledge to build 1.5 million new homes over five years. However, Savills has forecast that only around half of the government’s annual target of 300,000 new homes would be completed in the next five years.
Industry figures cited in the Mortgage Strategy report highlighted ongoing challenges for housing supply and affordability. Harpal Singh, chief executive of Conveybuddy, noted that the government is not on course to meet its housebuilding targets and described the targets as “hugely ambitious.” Singh also suggested that changes such as the abolition of stamp duty could help free up under-occupied homes.
Karen Rodrigues, sales director at TAB, identified planning reform as a key issue. She called for a refreshed planning system with statutory deadlines, greater local authority resources, and a presumption in favour of converting redundant commercial space to facilitate faster change-of-use approvals.
Richard Pike, chief sales and marketing director at Phoebus Software, agreed that planning is central to solving the housing crisis. He argued that the planning system is currently “cumbersome at best and unworkable at worst,” and suggested that streamlining planning, addressing land banking, and empowering local leaders are necessary steps for real change.
These discussions are particularly relevant for UK letting agents and inventory clerks, as changes to housing supply, planning, and the use of existing properties could impact rental stock and property management practices.
Source: Mortgage Strategy