The new Labour government has promised to build 1.5 million new homes all over England by 2029. This significant target is a big step towards addressing the persistent housing crisis and help our economy rebound. A recent report by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has raised fears that this goal may not be achievable. The report warns that existing legislative efforts are insufficient to get there.
On Sunday, the EAC released those findings. They cast doubt on whether or not the government’s proposed tactics will truly live up to its housing aims. The report pinpointed the major obstacles to housing delivery. It pointed out that these issues actually have little to do with green concerns, as most people think.
“The government must not veer down the path of viewing nature as an inconvenience or blocker to housebuilding,” the report stated. This statement further highlights the Committee’s belief that environmental review must not be made a scapegoat for slow-walking progress on developing the homes we need.
The EAC nailed a number of other fundamental delivery obstacles. These policy issues range from vague and at times contradictory policies, land banking, and shortage of skilled labor. These problems have resulted in an almost complete freeze on the building of new homes.
“In most cases, housing delivery is delayed or challenged due to unclear and conflicting policies, land banking and skills shortages,” the report detailed. This simple observation illustrates how far the federal government must go to change its tune. It needs to address these systemic barriers not defer to their scapegoat, the laws of nature.
The EAC also recently warned against using nature as a scapegoat. This insidious tactic would delay or prevent impactful solutions to the very real problems facing our planning system. “Using nature as a scapegoat means that the government will be less effective at tackling some of the genuine challenges facing the planning system,” the report noted.
In a letter to the EAC addressing the concerns they raised, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government defended their position. They admitted their problems. “The Government inherited a failing system that delayed new homes and infrastructure while doing nothing for nature’s recovery,” they stated, indicating a recognition of past shortcomings in addressing these intertwined issues.