Moves towards housing decisions being taken at a strategic, regional level welcomed

Ministers’ sweeping changes to local government will create “key transition risk” in the short term that could impact housebuilding plans, a council housing leader has warned.

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(l to r) Tom Arnold, policy manager at Chartered Institute of Housing, Joe Powell, head of housing and strategic assets at Rother District Council, Matthew Turpin, public affairs lead at VIvid, Versha Koria, head affordable housing growth (south west) at Homes England. 

The government’s devolution bill will give elected mayors greater powers and influence over housing and planning while scores of district and borough councils will be swept away and replaced with unitary authorities.

Joe Powell, head of housing and strategic assets at Rother District Council, warned councils may find the transition difficult, given the lack of resource in local government.

Powell, speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Housing Brighton event yesterday said: “This is a really significant risk we feel, in terms of capacity for local government through this period, and at a time when we’re very keen to hit the ground running and try and get towards his one half million homes, there is going to be a key transition risk.”

Powell said there is also a risk of staff attrition and recruitment proving difficult when councils have a limited time left.

Panellists at the Housing Brighton event, including Powell, however were broadly positive about the prospect of housing decisions being made at a more strategic, regional level.

Matthew Turpin, public affairs lead at Vivid, described new spatial development strategies as the “missing piece in the jigsaw”. He said: “Up until now, we’ve seen this gulf between national policy and local plans, and given the scale of the housing challenge, coupled with wider pressures on infrastructure, the introduction of these strategic plans really must be welcomed.” 

He added: “Devolution certainly creates opportunities to increase housing supply, but to see those opportunities maximised, it’s really vital that we, as a sector, step forward, set out our stall early and engage well, so we can influence the future mechanics and machinery of the new combined authorities while they’re in their early stages.”

 

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