The Westminster Government has published its revised National Planning Policy Framework amid a flurry of boosterish phrases about ‘backing builders not blockers’, ‘unleashing billions in economic growth’, and introducing ‘seismic reforms to help builders get shovels in the ground quicker’. If pithy phrases, vivid metaphors, and a love of alliteration could deliver the housing we need, the Framework’s job would have been done.
As it is, the situation is far more nuanced. Housebuilders interviewed for their response on Radio 4’s Today programme said that ‘red tape’ was not to blame: the problem is that planning and conservation departments are under-resourced. They wanted more money to be spent on planning, not less, so that housebuilders can obtain pre-planning advice and understand legitimate constraints relating to heritage and biodiversity. They also want councils to speed up the whole process, which is supposed to take 13 weeks, but usually takes many months, again because of a lack of capacity.
New homes from vacant buildings
The recently published Historic England report on ‘New Homes from Vacant Historic Buildings’ makes a strong case for making fuller use of existing buildings. In answer to the question ‘How many vacant domestic historic properties are there in England?’, Historic England quotes the 2021 UK Census figures to show that approximately 1.4 million properties were empty and unused at the time (that’s 5.6% of the UK housing stock). Of this number, Valuation Office Agency figures estimate that 300,000 count as historic dwellings (that is, built before 1919).
