The interim report of an official review said that it was clear that the housing market was not working as well as it should. In particular there was a problem of weak supply, with major implications for economic well-being and house price volatility. Environmental campaigners criticised the report, saying that much of the delay in housebuilding was a result of the industry's failure to build on sites already allocated by the planning system. But homeless campaigners urged the government to act on the report and increase housebuilding.
Source: Kate Barker, Securing our Future Housing Needs: Interim report - Analysis, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558) | Press release 10 December 2003, Friends of the Earth (020 7490 1555) | Press release 10 December 2003, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report | HMT press release | FOE press release | Shelter press release | RTPI press release (pdf) | TCPA press release | CPRE press release | CIH press release | NHF press release (pdf) | RICS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Dec
A survey found that as much as a third of the 66,000 hectares of brownfield land identified on the national land use database could be readily available for development contributing significantly to government targets of developing 60 per cent of housing on brownfield land.
Source: Towards a National Brownfield Strategy, English Partnerships (01925 644635)
Links: Report (pdf) | English Partnerships press release
Date: 2003-Nov
The government began consultation on proposals for reforming planning obligations (also known as section 106 agreements). It said its objective was to provide greater transparency and certainty for all stakeholders, and help developers and local planning authorities to avoid the delays that sometimes occurred under the existing system. It proposed to reform planning obligations policy to improve negotiated planning obligations, and to legislate to enable the government to establish a new optional planning charge, as an alternative to negotiated planning obligations. Housing experts warned that if the obligation to provide affordable housing on site were weakened (and replaced by a financial contribution), it would damage attempts to prevent socially excluded communities.
Source: Contributing to Sustainable Communities: New approach to planning obligations, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 6 November 2003, columns 40-41WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 6 November 2003, Chartered Institute of Housing (024 7685 1700)
Links: Consultation document (Word file) | Hansard | ODPM press release | CIH press release
Date: 2003-Nov
Campaigners said that twice as much land as was needed for housing in the next 20 years had already been set aside from agricultural use, and that building homes at higher densities did not necessarily save much land. They expressed concern that space standards in and around homes would be further threatened by higher densities.
Source: Residential Densities, Town and Country Planning Association (020 7930 8903)
Links: Statement (pdf) | TCPA press release
Date: 2003-Nov
The government gave further details of its plans for spending on affordable homes. It outlined a new key worker programme to succeed the 'starter home initiative' from 1 April 2004: the new scheme redefined the term 'key worker' so that all public sector workers were covered. It also announced additional funding for transitional arrangements following the abolition of local authority social housing grant in April 2004: it said schemes totalling 680 million would provide over 14,000 homes over three years. Funding allocations for the nine new regional housing boards would mean an 18 per cent increase in housing associations' development funding.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 21 October 2003, columns 31-34WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 21 October 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: Hansard | ODPM press release | NHF press release (1) (pdf) | NHF press release (2) (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Oct
A report said that an estimated 70,000 hectares of derelict and vacant land existed in England and Wales (the same size as Greater London). 5,000 hectares of wasted space were attached to derelict buildings mostly found on docks and canal land, undeveloped council-owned sites, former gas works, quarries and mining sites - these were often a safety threat to children and local residents. Residential developers retained large land banks, and many deliberately kept unused land designated for development for many years before it could be built on. Absentee landowners could be difficult to track down.
Source: Wasted Space?, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, available from Origin Communications (020 7377 9911)
Links: Report (pdf) | CABE press release
Date: 2003-Sep
Campaigners published a detailed progress report on the recommendations of a report by a committee of MPs (published in 2002) on empty homes. The report welcomed the discretionary abolition of the long-term discount for council tax on empty homes, and powers for local authorities to access council tax data for empty property work. It called for the inclusion of empty homes management orders in the forthcoming Housing Bill; the ring-fencing of additional money raised from the abolition of council tax discount for empty property work; active encouragement of social landlords to embrace 'shortlife' for their empty properties; and more focus on small-scale schemes for low-demand market renewal.
Source: Progress Report on the House of Commons Transport, Local Government & the Regions Committee Report into Empty Homes, Empty Homes Agency (020 7828 6288)
Links: Report (Word file) | EHA press release | MPs' report
Date: 2003-Sep
A briefing said that housebuilders had enough land with planning permission for more than a quarter of a million houses. Far from running out of land, as was often claimed, the top companies' land reserves had expanded by nearly 18 per cent in the period 1998-2003.
Source: Housing Myths: Housing Solutions, Campaign to Protect Rural England (020 7981 2800)
Links: Briefing (pdf) | CPRE press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Sep
An independent report said that the government could not deliver its target of 158,500 homes in the 'Thames Gateway' area of south east England by 2016. It argued that 120,000 homes would be a more realistic target, and that the estimated number of jobs likely to be created in the area should also be halved from 325,800 to 150,000.
Source: Roger Tym & Partners and Llewelyn Davies, The Relationship Between Transport and Development in the Thames Gateway, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Aug
Researchers examined ways of improving the delivery of affordable housing in the south east region of England, through the development process. They found that creating separate fast-track arrangements for affordable housing applications would not be practicable in most local authorities; and that authorities were already achieving, or were close to achieving, their policy targets on large sites.
Source: ERM Planning, Improving the Delivery of Affordable Housing in London and the South East, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
Mortgage lenders said that inadequate housing supply remained the most critical unresolved issue in housing policy. Without a substantial increase in supply, problems of lack of flexibility, lack of responsiveness and failure to absorb increases in demand would remain significant causes of volatility in the housing market.
Source: Barker Review of Housing Supply: Response, Council of Mortgage Lenders (020 7437 0075)
Links: Report | CML press release
Date: 2003-Aug
The national land use database of previously-developed land ('brownfield' sites) showed that in 2002 in England the total amounts were very similar to those in 2001. An estimated 65,000 hectares of brownfield land were available for development. An estimated 28,000 hectares (43 per cent) were potentially available for housing and, on the figures supplied by planning authorities, could provide for 870,000 new dwellings.
Source: Previously Developed Land that May be Available for Development: Brownfield site, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Aug
A research report said that Wales needed 33,000 new homes to clear a backlog in demand. This requirement was over and above a need for 8,600 new homes a year between 1998 and 2016 to keep pace with growing demand. The research showed a strong preference by people in Wales to buy a new home rather than an existing property, perhaps because of the poor condition of the country's relatively old housing stock.
Source: Alan Holmans, Who's Counting? Demand for homes in Wales 1998-2016, Council of Mortgage Lenders (020 7437 0075)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | CML press release
Date: 2003-Jul
The government began consultation on proposals to give English councils more power to tackle the problem of the 300,000 long-standing empty homes. It also issued guidance on how to achieve the re-use of empty homes and conversion of vacant commercial property.
Source: Empty Homes: Temporary management, lasting solutions, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236) | KPMG, Empty Homes Agency and Drivers Jonas, Empty Property: Unlocking the potential - Case for action, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Guidance document (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-May
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on affordable housing. It said it shared the concerns of the committee about the effects of rising house prices. It said the approach in the medium and long term should be to increase private house-building in high-demand areas, with a better mix of housing. It said that too many homes were being built at the upper price range. It said that affordable housing did not have to be subsidised, and that the market could provide much affordable housing, both for renting and owner occupation.
Source: The Government s Response to the Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee s Report: Affordable Homes, Cm 5783, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: HOC report
Date: 2003-Mar
A report said that housing associations could meet the needs of key workers by developing and managing market renting schemes. It argued that neither owner occupation nor social housing offers a flexible or practical option for many in this group.
Source: Barry Goodchild and Paul Syms, Between Social Housing and the Market: Developing and managing market renting schemes by housing associations, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (020 7695 1535)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press Release | JRF Findings 213
Date: 2003-Feb
