Permanent secretary at department also tells PAC that delay to levy won’t increase cost to government

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) did not do an impact assessment on how the Building Safety Levy will affect affordable housing delivery, according to the department’s permanent secretary.

Giving evidence to the House of Commons public accounts committee, deputy chair Clive Betts asked the senior civil servant whether any assessment had been made of the policy’s impact on the amount of section 106 affordable housing developers can viably include in schemes. The levy will see developers pay a fee on new housing developments which require building control approval and is expected to raise £3.4bn over 10 years.

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Source: Shutterstock

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s office in Westminster

Sarah Healey, permanent secretary at MHCLG, told Betts that there were “lots and lots of moving parts” affecting affordable housing delivery.

“There’s a whole range of issues that affect how much affordable housing is built, and developers will take all of those issues into account when pressing ahead and making their plans,” she explained.

Prodded by the MP for a more specific answer, Healey admitted that no impact assessment had been done.

“I don’t believe [we have] specifically on the question that you asked, because, ultimately, we take a range of decisions - It’s a dynamic situation,” she said.

However, the civil servant was able to set Betts’ mind at rest on the question of the delayed introduction of the levy.

>> Read more: More than 100 housebuilders sign letter calling for Reeves to rethink £3.4bn building safety levy  

The government announced last month that the introduction of the levy had been pushed back a year to give local government, the Building Safety Regulator, and Registered Building Control approvers time to prepare.

Healey said “delaying the implementation of the building safety levy won’t slow down the pace of remediation” and that the delay would not increase the government’s ultimate contribution to the costs.

She said that while a significant amount of money might have to be spent “up front before the building safety levy is collected”, the taxpayer contribution remains capped at £5.1bn.

 

The planned levy rates

The local authority area of Previously Developed Land levy rate (£) Non-Previously Developed Land levy rate (£)
Adur 19.45 38.91
Amber Valley 10.56 21.12
Arun 17.73 35.47
Ashfield 9.69 19.38
Ashford 16.99 33.98
Babergh 14.63 29.26
Barking and Dagenham 21.23 42.47
Barnet 31.68 63.35
Barnsley 8.30 16.60
Basildon 18.02 36.04
Basingstoke and Deane 19.10 38.20
Bassetlaw 8.97 17.93
Bath and North East Somerset 19.60 39.20
Bedford 17.11 34.23
Bexley 24.00 48.00
Birmingham 14.62 29.23
Blaby 14.23 28.47
Blackburn with Darwen 7.28 14.55
Blackpool 7.78 15.57
Bolsover 9.60 19.20
Bolton 10.07 20.15
Boston 10.50 21.00
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 17.65 35.29
Bracknell Forest 19.88 39.76
Bradford 8.73 17.45
Braintree 16.56 33.12
Breckland 12.21 24.42
Brent 32.35 64.69
Brentwood 23.29 46.58
Brighton and Hove 24.80 49.60
Bristol, City of 21.48 42.97
Broadland 14.95 29.89
Bromley 24.81 49.63
Bromsgrove 17.24 34.48
Broxbourne 20.35 40.70
Broxtowe 12.95 25.90
Buckinghamshire 19.39 38.78
Burnley 6.80 13.60
Bury 12.14 24.29
Calderdale 8.06 16.12
Cambridge 25.44 50.87
Camden 43.56 87.12
Cannock Chase 12.78 25.57
Canterbury 18.19 36.38
Castle Point 16.85 33.70
Central Bedfordshire 17.00 34.01
Charnwood 13.56 27.12
Chelmsford 18.16 36.32
Cheltenham 15.67 31.35
Cherwell 16.78 33.56
Cheshire East 12.39 24.77
Cheshire West and Chester 12.42 24.85
Chesterfield 9.38 18.75
Chichester 19.99 39.98
Chorley 10.14 20.27
City of London 43.52 87.04
Colchester 16.37 32.74
Cornwall 14.79 29.58
Cotswold 20.55 41.10
County Durham 6.35 12.70
Coventry 13.79 27.58
Crawley 20.70 41.40
Croydon 26.01 52.03
Cumberland 7.31 14.63
Dacorum 24.10 48.19
Darlington 7.69 15.38
Dartford 18.64 37.28
Derby 11.21 22.42
Derbyshire Dales 14.51 29.02
Doncaster 8.66 17.32
Dorset 17.24 34.48
Dover 15.19 30.38
Dudley 14.09 28.17
Ealing 33.24 66.47
East Cambridgeshire 13.28 26.57
East Devon 17.03 34.06
East Hampshire 20.09 40.18
East Hertfordshire 20.98 41.95
East Lindsey 10.07 20.14
East Riding of Yorkshire 9.92 19.85
East Staffordshire 10.87 21.75
East Suffolk 13.99 27.97
Eastbourne 18.80 37.61
Eastleigh 16.97 33.95
Elmbridge 21.08 42.17
Enfield 22.06 44.13
Epping Forest 23.09 46.18
Epsom and Ewell 28.31 56.62
Erewash 11.86 23.72
Exeter 16.17 32.35
Fareham 18.03 36.05
Fenland 10.62 21.23
Folkestone and Hythe 15.04 30.07
Forest of Dean 14.83 29.66
Fylde 10.88 21.77
Gateshead 7.97 15.93
Gedling 11.78 23.56
Gloucester 14.42 28.83
Gosport 16.19 32.37
Gravesham 18.23 36.46
Great Yarmouth 11.12 22.24
Greenwich 27.16 54.33
Guildford 23.07 46.15
Hackney 35.75 71.51
Halton 10.52 21.04
Hammersmith and Fulham 45.94 91.87
Harborough 14.74 29.47
Haringey 33.33 66.66
Harlow 19.87 39.75
Harrow 29.94 59.88
Hart 23.06 46.13
Hartlepool 6.41 12.82
Hastings 15.11 30.21
Havant 17.41 34.83
Havering 23.84 47.68
Herefordshire, County of 13.47 26.94
Hertsmere 23.69 47.37
High Peak 13.72 27.43
Hillingdon 27.33 54.66
Hinckley and Bosworth 13.39 26.79
Horsham 20.79 41.57
Hounslow 29.15 58.29
Huntingdonshire 14.56 29.12
Hyndburn 7.41 14.83
Inner Temple 43.52 87.04
Ipswich 12.79 25.58
Isle of Wight 14.71 29.42
Isles of Scilly 14.79 29.58
Islington 39.52 79.04
Kensington and Chelsea 50.17 100.35
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk 10.58 21.16
Kingston upon Hull, City of 8.29 16.58
Kingston upon Thames 28.84 57.68
Kirklees 8.44 16.88
Knowsley 9.95 19.91
Lambeth 30.77 61.54
Lancaster 10.22 20.44
Leeds 12.29 24.57
Leicester 13.64 27.29
Lewes 20.07 40.13
Lewisham 27.42 54.84
Lichfield 15.29 30.58
Lincoln 11.06 22.12
Liverpool 10.81 21.61
Luton 19.22 38.44
Maidstone 17.58 35.15
Maldon 16.90 33.81
Malvern Hills 14.78 29.56
Manchester 14.22 28.44
Mansfield 9.12 18.23
Medway 16.12 32.24
Melton 11.96 23.93
Merton 29.51 59.02
Mid Devon 13.49 26.98
Mid Suffolk 14.26 28.53
Mid Sussex 20.12 40.23
Middle Temple 43.52 87.04
Middlesbrough 6.80 13.59
Milton Keynes 15.32 30.63
Mole Valley 22.50 44.99
New Forest 18.51 37.01
Newark and Sherwood 11.58 23.16
Newcastle upon Tyne 9.85 19.71
Newcastle-under-Lyme 9.89 19.79
Newham 23.61 47.23
North Devon 14.42 28.84
North East Derbyshire 11.07 22.14
North East Lincolnshire 6.88 13.76
North Hertfordshire 18.45 36.90
North Kesteven 11.65 23.29
North Lincolnshire 8.48 16.95
North Norfolk 14.22 28.44
North Northamptonshire 12.98 25.97
North Somerset 16.09 32.18
North Tyneside 10.22 20.45
North Warwickshire 12.26 24.51
North West Leicestershire 11.28 22.55
North Yorkshire 12.44 24.88
Northumberland 8.39 16.77
Norwich 15.31 30.63
Nottingham 11.77 23.55
Nuneaton and Bedworth 12.14 24.28
Oadby and Wigston 12.76 25.52
Oldham 10.27 20.53
Oxford 23.62 47.24
Pendle 6.55 13.11
Peterborough 13.36 26.73
Plymouth 12.06 24.13
Portsmouth 15.52 31.05
Preston 7.59 15.19
Reading 21.89 43.77
Redbridge 28.51 57.02
Redcar and Cleveland 8.19 16.39
Redditch 14.76 29.51
Reigate and Banstead 21.88 43.76
Ribble Valley 12.16 24.32
Richmond upon Thames 36.60 73.20
Rochdale 11.47 22.95
Rochford 18.21 36.42
Rossendale 8.75 17.51
Rother 16.95 33.91
Rotherham 9.11 18.22
Rugby 14.09 28.19
Runnymede 22.86 45.71
Rushcliffe 14.61 29.23
Rushmoor 19.41 38.81
Rutland 15.59 31.17
Salford 15.18 30.35
Sandwell 12.46 24.92
Sefton 10.83 21.66
Sevenoaks 21.08 42.15
Sheffield 11.88 23.76
Shropshire 12.34 24.68
Slough 21.41 42.83
Solihull 17.56 35.12
Somerset 14.23 28.45
South Cambridgeshire 18.98 37.95
South Derbyshire 11.23 22.46
South Gloucestershire 17.77 35.54
South Hams 15.71 31.42
South Holland 11.39 22.79
South Kesteven 12.24 24.47
South Norfolk 14.42 28.84
South Oxfordshire 21.18 42.37
South Ribble 10.06 20.13
South Staffordshire 14.77 29.53
South Tyneside 8.23 16.45
Southampton 16.13 32.27
Southend-on-Sea 19.12 38.24
Southwark 28.47 56.93
Spelthorne 25.81 51.62
St Albans 24.77 49.55
St. Helens 10.37 20.73
Stafford 12.29 24.58
Staffordshire Moorlands 11.05 22.09
Stevenage 21.73 43.46
Stockport 15.34 30.69
Stockton-on-Tees 7.35 14.70
Stoke-on-Trent 8.28 16.56
Stratford-on-Avon 16.03 32.05
Stroud 15.75 31.50
Sunderland 7.13 14.26
Surrey Heath 23.39 46.78
Sutton 27.52 55.03
Swale 15.86 31.72
Swindon 13.53 27.06
Tameside 11.90 23.80
Tamworth 11.92 23.84
Tandridge 22.00 44.00
Teignbridge 14.89 29.78
Telford and Wrekin 12.18 24.37
Tendring 12.40 24.80
Test Valley 18.17 36.34
Tewkesbury 16.00 32.01
Thanet 15.78 31.56
Three Rivers 27.20 54.39
Thurrock 19.31 38.62
Tonbridge and Malling 21.06 42.12
Torbay 13.26 26.52
Torridge 13.86 27.73
Tower Hamlets 30.60 61.20
Trafford 19.92 39.83
Tunbridge Wells 19.62 39.25
Uttlesford 18.12 36.25
Vale of White Horse 18.51 37.01
Wakefield 10.04 20.08
Walsall 12.74 25.47
Waltham Forest 29.98 59.97
Wandsworth 34.25 68.50
Warrington 12.94 25.88
Warwick 17.82 35.65
Watford 25.14 50.29
Waverley 22.43 44.85
Wealden 17.88 35.77
Welwyn Hatfield 22.79 45.57
West Berkshire 19.95 39.90
West Devon 14.80 29.61
West Lancashire 10.53 21.06
West Lindsey 9.29 18.58
West Northamptonshire 13.84 27.69
West Oxfordshire 17.54 35.08
West Suffolk 14.82 29.64
Westminster 49.01 98.01
Westmorland and Furness 9.90 19.79
Wigan 10.11 20.22
Wiltshire 15.80 31.61
Winchester 21.63 43.26
Windsor and Maidenhead 21.09 42.17
Wirral 11.12 22.23
Woking 24.27 48.54
Wokingham 22.49 44.98
Wolverhampton 12.21 24.41
Worcester 14.87 29.74
Worthing 18.66 37.33
Wychavon 16.52 33.05
Wyre 8.93 17.86
Wyre Forest 13.27 26.55
York 15.81 31.61

Source: MHCLG