Speaking in his role as head of the Independent Housing Policy and Delivery Oversight Committee, Sir Vince Cable said the slowdown in new-build development and the Building Safety Levy due in October, combined with a lack of skilled construction workers and planning experts, risked the potential of proposed developments.
Family Building Society sponsors the committee, which includes members Neil Jefferson, chief executive of the House Builders Federation (HBF), Vicky Price, chief economist of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, and Damien Green, chair of the Social Care Foundation.
At its recent meeting, committee members noted a lack of activity within the social housing sector, despite the pressure placed on the sector and the greater capacity of local authorities.
Sir Cable said: “The government is looking like its own worst enemy by trying to make building easier with one hand but making it more difficult with the other. It’s no good trying to speed up planning approvals while making it more expensive to build at the same time.
“Local government reorganisation will only make it worse as councils amalgamate resources, leading to even fewer planning officers employed than now. With new build forming only 1% of the housing stock at most, policies encouraging improving existing properties and downsizing are essential, otherwise reaching the 1.5 million new homes target will be extremely difficult.”
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The committee also noted that the lack of affordable homes could be a barrier to the government meeting its housing target, as well as new high-rise safety rules and the cost of planning.
