‘No silver bullet’: Commission calls for change to tackle housing crisis
Summary
The Prosper UK Housing Commission has published a blueprint aimed at improving housing supply and affordability by addressing declining demand and the viability of housebuilding. It argues that rising regulatory costs, taxes and planning burdens are undermining development, and calls for reforms including a freeze on regulatory burdens, changes to section 106, and a new national planning service.
Why it matters
The proposals could affect the planning, viability and delivery assumptions surveyors encounter in residential development work, particularly where schemes are constrained by regulation and local planning obligations. They also signal potential policy shifts that may influence land values, development appraisals and housing market conditions.
Key points
- Commission says regulatory fees, taxes and policy costs are reducing scheme viability.
- It reports that half of the £76,000 rise in new-build costs since 2020 came from regulation, policy and tax.
- Recommendations include a three-year freeze on regulatory burdens and limiting section 106 requirements to site-specific needs.
- The report calls for a new national planning service and a review of green belt land.
- The commission says current government progress is insufficient to meet the 1.5 million homes target.
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