Report: Planning Reforms Will Not Help Housing

The government’s ‘timid’ planning reform will not solve the housing crisis, according to a new report.  The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has said not enough is being done to reduce the extraordinarily high cost of housing in Britain. It said that housing affordability measures show housing to be unaffordable in every single one of the 33 regions in the UK.  The report, Abundance of land, shortage of housing, said empirical evidence from around the world shows that planning restrictions are the key determinant of housing costs, and criticised the government’s new planning reforms for not doing enough to incentivise growth.  Only a thorough liberalisation of the planning system can address the affordability crisis, it said.  Download a copy of the report from the IEA website.