Housing delivery and planning

The state of play

Housebuilders have much to be glum about when it comes to recent policymaking. A parliamentary term which began with a radical and ambitious planning white paper looks likely to end in open hostility between industry and government.

Former housing secretary Robert Jenrick’s proposals for sweeping reforms to the planning system, which would have introduced a zonal operation with automatic permission granted in certain areas, were themselves swept away, with his successor Michael Gove effectively watering down local housing targets.