News

Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of private renters in England never expect to buy their own property because they won’t be able to afford one, as councils warn of the nation's growing "home-owning hopelessness".

The average house price in England is now almost eight times the average wage, sparking a call from councils to be allowed to invest significantly in house building.

"We are pleased the Government has acted on our call for an extension of the time given to commence planning permissions that would otherwise lapse."

​​​​​​​More than a million homes granted planning permission in the past decade have not yet been built, according to new analysis by the Local Government Association.

A chronic shortage of affordable housing is forcing cash-strapped councils to spend more than £2 million a day on temporary accommodation for homeless families, analysis by the Local Government Association reveals today.

The LGA said councils want to work with the Government to tackle the housing shortage and ensure new housing meets the needs of communities. As part of this, it is calling on permitted development rules to be scrapped and local communities to be allowed to have a vital say on new developments in their area.

Communities could have missed out on nearly 30,000 affordable homes in the past five years if proposed government planning reforms were in place, new analysis by the LGA reveals today.

“This independent report rightly backs our long-standing concerns over the detrimental impact on local communities of rules allowing home conversions without planning permission. It provides further evidence on why it is more vital than ever that planning should remain local."

Responding to the announcement that all new housing developments must meet local standards of beauty, quality and design, Cllr David Renard, housing spokesperson for the LGA, said: “We look forward to seeing the details of the draft national design code and the new Office for Place. We want to continue to work with the Government to get these proposals right. “Councils need to be at the forefront of a locally determined planning system which meets the housing needs and aspirations of their communities, and support proposals that go some way to facilitating that. “Along with government, we

Cllr David Renard, Housing Spokesperson for the Local Government Association, responds to the written ministerial statement on Building Beautiful Places.