Warm welcome for Starmer’s Big Build plans

The property industry has given an overwhelmingly warm welcome to Labour’s pledge to build 1.5m homes in five years, unlock brownfield sites and create a new generation of new towns. In his conference speech in Liverpool yesterday (10 October), Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said reform of the planning system was at the heart of the party’s plans for government. “There is one barrier so big, so imposing that it blocks out all light from the other side,” he said. “A blockage that stops this country building roads, grid connections, laboratories, train lines, warehouses, wind farms, power stations. An obstacle to the aspirations of millions… A future hidden by our restrictive planning system. Conference, we must bulldoze through it.” The ambition has been welcomed by many in the industry. Grosvenor chief executive James Raynor, who attended the conference, said the plans were “ambitious” and “chimed with a lot of what we are wanting to achieve”. Landsec chief executive Mark Allan, who also attended, said the ideas set out in Starmer’s speech “would definitely move things in the right direction”. He added: “We have been advocating for an approach to planning reform that prioritises action around brownfield urban regeneration, that resources the system more effectively and that recognises the particular challenges of developing within urban areas. Doing so will help unlock more economic growth, speed up the delivery of new homes and create jobs around the country.” British Property Federation chief executive Melanie Leech was also positive about “Labour’s focus on planning and housing” and the “commitment to a clear target” for delivery. Labour has made a point of stating that its plan to build 1.5m homes in five years was a case of “how, not if”. Leech welcomed the seemingly more pro-developer slant to Starmer’s speech. He said developers who met design conditions would be given a clearer path to build. “We look forward to discussing the detail of the proposed ‘planning passports’ with Labour to ensure that we maximise their potential to accelerate development and deliver high-quality homes and amenities that meet local needs,” Leech said. New towns She also gave an endorsement to Starmer’s plan for a “new generation of new towns”, backed by “new development corporations with the power to remove the blockages”. “Our members invest for the long term, and the vision of a new generation of thriving new towns is one we support as part of a comprehensive strategy to build the homes and sustainable communities the country needs,” she said. But Pocket Living chief executive Marc Vlessing said plans for new towns were less important than the pledge to liberate brownfield sites. “While new towns are a positive long-term solution, we need new homes now. From our research, there is the potential to construct an additional 1.6m homes on brownfield sites throughout the UK to address the severe housing deficit,” he said. The RICS also supported the ambition to build 1.5m new homes and establish a new generation of new towns. “Suggestions of reform to local planning laws, making development more accessible, are also promising,” it said. Statement of intent It was the sheer amount of time and space given over to the issue of the built environment that impressed others. Nigel Hugill, chief executive at master developer Urban&Civic, said: “The fact that the new housebuilding proposals are regarded as sufficiently integral to election policy to have been split across the two keynote speeches appears a clear statement of intent.” Grosvenor’s Raynor said it was in marked contrast to the previous week’s Conservative Party conference in Manchester, during which housing, development, regeneration and planning were barely mentioned. However, Hugill cautioned that attempts to build new towns must learn from the past and draw on the expertise of masterplanners and developers. “Labour is promising the political will, which is the final key ingredient,” he said. Green belt development Starmer’s proposal to allow development on parts of the green belt was also welcomed. The Labour leader said there were “clearly ridiculous uses of it – disused car parks, dreary wasteland”. In parts it was “not a green belt – a grey belt”. Katy Davis, head of Carter Jonas’s London planning and development team, said that while it was “difficult to get excited about yet another announcement on new towns/garden towns/garden villages/eco towns, etc”, it was “very positive news that Labour recognises the ‘grey belt’”. “This is a great term which describes the substantial amount of low-quality (mostly brownfield) land that is unnecessarily protected by the outdated, broad-brush green belt allocation,” she said. The RICS said it would go further and called for an evidence-led review of the green belt. It added: “The investigation of ‘brownfield’ and ‘greyfield’ sites suggested in the speech is a step in the right direction.” But CPRE chief executive Roger Mortlock said: “While sustainable development on brownfield land in the green belt can be part of the solution, we challenge the idea that ‘grey belt’ land should include areas of scrubland that should be restored to enhance nature and support natural solutions to the climate crisis.” To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews Photo by ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock