Chartered Surveyors, Minerals, Planning & Environmental Consultants Telephone: +44 01630 698035Email: info@halletec.co.uk
Chartered Surveyors, Minerals, Planning & Environmental ConsultantsAs the housing crisis in the UK appears to become more severe, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) changes announced by Labour on July 30, 2024 offer a significant opportunity for house building. In accredited official statistics, released by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities in early 2024, there were 1.29 million households on social housing local authority waiting lists as of 31 March 2023, an increase of 6% compared to 31 March 2022, and the highest it has been since 2014 [1]. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has also reported that the number of families in England and Wales that had adult children living with their parents had increased by 13.6% between 2011 and 2021 to 3.8 million [2]
There is a renewed focus on meeting the ambitious housing targets of building 1.5 million homes over the next five years in England [3]. Halletec are excited about the opportunity to leverage these modifications and help transform underutilised land into new housing schemes for the local community.
New homes can be built on land that is vacant or underused within existing urban areas through a process called infill development. Infill plots are now considered significant assets as cities continue to develop, allowing for an increase in housing availability without expanding into the Green Belt or other protected zones. Infill development can enhance the potential of already established environments, and are often situated near essential services such as schools and public transport. In an article published earlier this year, Kane Emerson, Head of Housing Research at YIMBY Alliance, makes the case for infill development, which could unlock up to 30,000 additional homes per year [4].
Collaboration between local authorities, community groups and private developers is essential when capitalising on the potential of infill development. The updated version of the NPPF requires a more coordinated approach to meeting local housing needs, and Halletec is committed to contribute towards this effort. We advocate for strengthening connections with local councils and landowners to identify vacant lots and collaborate on planning permissions and community involvement.
The government’s plan to construct 1.5 million homes over the next five years highlights the importance of sensitively considering infill development to form part of the deficit. Halletec are on hand to help find suitable plots of land, or masterplan the development process of land, and take it through to planning with the local authority.
If you are a landowner, property developer, or are looking to purchase land, please feel free to reach out to us on: [email protected] or 01630 698 035.
[2] https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/housing-needs-of-young-people/
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/our-plan-to-build-more-homes
[4] https://redbrickblog.co.uk/2024/07/fast-wins-homes-infill/
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