Developers: Move to boost house building ‘not enough’

Developers have criticised the Government’s long-awaited White Paper on housing saying it is overly protective of green belt land and could “suppress house building”.

The document sets out a range of measures to reduce the obstacles to construction of new homes and help local authorities, developers and small builders.

It aims to help groups like first-time buyers, who are struggling to get on the housing ladder, with the average property costing eight times more than average earnings – an all-time record.

However, the white paper has received a lukewarm reception from some parts of the development world.

John Elliott, managing director of Tonbridge-based Millwood Designer Homes, criticised proposals to require developers to start building within two years once planning permission is granted, rather than the present three.

He said: “This is fraught with danger and will suppress housebuilding rather than ensure the Government’s housebuilding targets are achieved.

“Once planning has been granted on a site, it can take 18 to 24 months before the planning conditions are satisfied, and to ask housebuilders to spend huge sums to secure planning over sometimes several years for councils to then decide the development is not valid on the new timetable, is unacceptable.”

The Government aims to tackle the high cost of renting by amending planning rules so councils can plan for more long-term build-to-rent homes, where tenants pay discounted rent so they can save for a deposit to purchase their home.

David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt Developments, which owns Sevenoaks-based Wards Homes, said: “We welcome the continued government focus on tackling the housing shortage and we’ll support any policies aimed at speeding up the planning system and bringing forward more land for new homes – particularly in areas of high demand.

“House builders have an important role to play in building the homes the country needs and over the last five years Barratt has increased the number of homes it has built by more than 55%. But it is also vital that as the quantity increases, the quality of new homes doesn’t suffer.”

What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk Mark Quinn, managing director of Canterbury-based developer Quinn Estates, described the white paper as “a sticking plaster to a large wound”.

He said: “It also does not address the issue that some green belt is higher quality than others. Some has been decimated by roads and it is nuts not to build on it.

“We need to protect the areas which are beautiful but they have been telling us to build on brownfield for 20 years and there is very little brownfield left.

“Families don’t want to live in tower blocks. They want to live somewhere where their kids can go out and play.”