Councils Say 1m Homes Given Go-Ahead But Not Yet Built

Councils have hit back at possible government moves to strip them of planning powers to speed up housebuilding by releasing analysis that shows more than a million so-far unbuilt homes have been granted planning permission in the last decade. The Local Government Association said its analysis found 2,564,600 units had been given planning permission since 2009-10 and 1,530,680 had been constructed. The LGA argues the figures show that the white paper should allow local authorities to build on land that has planning permission, for example by assisting compulsory purchase on such land, and allowing councils to charge full council tax on unbuilt developments. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/20/councils-say-1m-homes-given-go-ahead-but-not-yet-built

Labour Bid To Seize Empty Homes And Squalid Rental Properties

Labour will discuss plans to allow councils to compulsorily purchase homes left empty for six months. Young Labour has submitted a motion to the party’s conference in Brighton that calls for the requisition of "unoccupied tower blocks in London" and cites Berlin and Vancouver as examples of where this has occurred. It goes on to state that Labour should "Requisition empty private homes by Compulsory Purchase Order...as well as the worst private rented sector properties and vacant land plots to conduct land assembly and to provide temporary accommodation."   Read more on Estate Agent Today.

https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2019/9/labour-bid-to-seize-empty-homes-and-poor-rental-properties

Commons Bill To Boost Council Compulsory Purchase Powers

Councils could acquire sites where planning permission has not been implemented in full within five years under a Bill put to Parliament. Labour’s Emma Hardy had her Ten Minute Rule Motion covering Compulsory Purchase and Planning moved to a Second Reading. The Bill said councils or ‘relevant bodies’ should be enabled to acquire sites if they can commence development within 12 months of the acquisition and that at least 50% of the development is completed within three years. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/commons-bill-to-boost-council-compulsory-purchase-powers/

Conservatives' Flagship CPO Plans For Social Rent 'Could Face Legal Challenge'

Tory plans to overhaul compulsory purchase laws to boost social housing provision could be challenged in parliament and through the courts, experts have warned. The Conservative Party this weekend pledged “a new generation of homes for social rent”, with cheap land deals part of the plan. Theresa May’s party said allowing councils to compulsorily purchase brownfield sites at below market value could release sites for social housing, particularly in urban areas. But Jacqueline Backhaus, head of planning at law firm Trowers & Hamlins, said any change to compulsory purchase legislation would be tough to enact – and could be challenged on human rights grounds. Read more on Inside Housing.

Birmingham Presses Ahead With Radical CPO Policy

Birmingham City Council will push ahead with its controversial policy of seizing undeveloped land from developers, despite a call-in by opposition councillors. The proposed policy, under which the council would use compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) against developers and owners of empty homes, is intended to serve as a threat to ensure swift development. The plan was in doubt after Conservative councillors asked for it to be called in and a scrutiny committee voted to amend the policy. However, at a cabinet meeting, Labour councillors voted for the policy to be passed in its original form. The plan is unusual as CPOs are more commonly used to acquire occupied land for regeneration schemes, rather than to seize undeveloped land. Read more on Inside Housing.

Tens Of Thousands Of London Homes Deemed 'Long-Term Vacant'

Despite a chronic shortage of housing in the capital, more than 22,000 homes have been left empty by their owners for longer than six months, freedom of information requests have revealed. Councils looking to bring vacant properties back into use have a range of options, including levying an additional rate of council tax, helping homeowners with the cost of repairs, or even compulsory purchase orders. But the data shows that a large proportion of the homes have been empty for years rather than months, calling into question efforts to ensure existing housing stock does not go to waste. More than a third of the total – 8,561 – have been left uninhabited for over two years, according to the data, with 1,151 empty for more than a decade. Read more on the Observer website.