Three in four councillors on planning committees warn housing crisis is ‘getting worse’

Nearly three in four councillors sitting on planning committees say the UK housing crisis has got worse in the past year, according to a survey research published today.

A survey of 416 councillors by SEC Newgate as part of its National Planning Barometer shows 74% perceive the housing crisis as getting worse. This is up from 67% through a similar survey of 311 councillors last year.

Two in three planning committee members (66%) now rated the housing crisis in their local area as severe, compared to 56% in the survey last year.

The survey also found that increasing affordable housing provision is the most important issue for planning committee members, with 30% putting it as their top priority.

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The research, which also included 21 in-depth interviews with planning and development specialists, found that claims of lack of viability by developers, as well as lack of funding for affordable housing, are viewed as the key obstacles to the delivery of affordable housing. It said slow build out by developers, community opposition and a lack of suitable sites are seen as lesser, but still critical, challenges to wider housing delivery.

Half of councillors surveyed in the study pointed to increasing workload and resourcing issues as being key barriers to determining plannings applications

Perry Miller, head of advocacy local, SEC Newgate, said the findings “send out a stark warning that we’re in the eye of a perfect storm and at risk of total housing failure without significant interventions”.

He said: “Public policy, government funding, market provision, community interest and discretionary decision-making at planning committees are all at play in the response to the social and economic need for homes. The actions and agendas of multiple actors make the issue of housing delivery a highly complex one to grapple with, and there is no silver bullet. We’re at a tipping point and need change from all those working to deliver the homes the country needs.”

The findings come as the government this week annoucned it has signed a partnership with non-profit organisation Digital Task Force for Planning to use “cutting edge technology” to speed up the planning process. A memorandum of understanding will see new software introduced which the government said will enable developers to quickly identify suitable sites for new homes and unblock development stuck in the planning system.