Quarter of A Million Homes Cut From Council Plans

English councils are planning to build 273,000 fewer homes since the coalition government’s abolition of regional planning which allowed authorities to ignore Labour’s top-down housing targets.  According to a report by the Policy Exchange there are 272,720 fewer homes in the planning system today than before the revocation of regional spatial strategies (RSS) in June 2010.  The report, called Planning for Less, finds that despite government assertions to the contrary, the decline in council plans for new homes will ultimately result in fewer homes being built. It says the decision to abolish RSS could contribute to the coalition presiding over the lowest peacetime level of housebuilding since the twenties, and that housebuilding levels will continue to fall unless significant changes to the planning system are made.  Download a copy of the report from the Policy Exchange website.

New Shadow Housing Secretary Vows to Put Council Housing 'Centre Stage'

Labour’s new shadow housing minister has said the party would restore regional planning if put in power at the next election. Jack Dromey, who has been confirmed as shadow to housing minister Grant Shapps, told Building that he had been asked by Labour leader Ed Miliband to put “housing centre stage” as Labour looks to rebuild support. Dromey also said that Labour would put a new era of council house building at the centre of his policies. Dromey said: “The government was absolutely crazy to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) and Regional Development Agencies. We are now the only country in western Europe without effective regional and sub-regional planning. We need to address that.” Read more on the Building website.