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| Housing Supply Action Plan | |
|---|---|
| Name | Housing Supply Action Plan |
| Type | Policy initiative |
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom, England |
| Introduced | 2017 |
| Status | Implemented |
| Lead agency | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Homes England |
| Related legislation | Housing and Planning Act 2016, Planning Act 2008 |
Housing Supply Action Plan
The Housing Supply Action Plan is a policy initiative introduced in 2017 to increase housing delivery in England under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and delivery partners such as Homes England and the National Housing Federation. It set targets, regulatory adjustments, funding mechanisms, and accountability measures intended to accelerate building on public and private land, streamline planning processes, and boost affordable housing provision. The plan interacts with statutory instruments, national strategies, and local plans including frameworks influenced by the National Planning Policy Framework and debates in the UK Parliament.
The plan built on prior initiatives including the Starter Homes Initiative, Help to Buy, and the Affordable Homes Programme, aligning with manifestos from the Conservative Party (UK) and parliamentary commitments debated at the House of Commons. It referenced institutions such as Local Enterprise Partnerships and delivery agencies like Homes England while seeking to coordinate with devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland where housing competences differ. The initiative was framed amid housing market analyses from bodies including the Office for National Statistics, the National Audit Office, and think tanks such as the Resolution Foundation and the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Objectives included increasing net additional dwellings per year to address shortfalls identified by the Wilson Review-style inquiries and independent research from the House of Lords Select Committee on Housing. Quantitative targets tied to local housing need assessments under the National Planning Policy Framework and strategic plans prepared by local planning authorities sought to deliver a mix of market, social, and affordable tenures. Commitments referenced in policy papers aimed to unlock brownfield land inventory held by Homes England, repurpose surplus sites from entities like the Ministry of Defence and NHS Property Services, and encourage institutional investment from actors such as UK Infrastructure Bank and pension funds including the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
Measures included accelerated planning permission mechanisms, zoning-like proposals inspired by international models, and incentives for brownfield development through land assembly powers similar to those exercised by English Partnerships and predecessors. Financial instruments combined grants from the Affordable Homes Programme with capital interventions from Homes England and guarantees modeled after Help to Buy. The plan promoted modern methods of construction favored by industry bodies such as the Home Builders Federation and trade unions including the GMB (trade union), and encouraged build-to-rent schemes championed by investors like Legal & General and Ballymore Group. Tools for local authorities included compulsory purchase mechanisms under legislation such as the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and measures to address developer land banking scrutinized by committees of the House of Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee.
Implementation relied on coordination between national agencies (Homes England, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), local authorities (including London Borough of Croydon and other metropolitan boroughs), and private developers like Barratt Developments and Persimmon plc. Funding streams combined capital grants, loan finance, and bond issuance with targeted subsidies through the Affordable Homes Programme and land deals unlocking public sector property portfolios such as those held by Homes England and the Ministry of Defence. Accountability and conditionality were enforced via delivery agreements and performance metrics similar to those used by Greater London Authority housing programmes and monitored by bodies including the National Audit Office.
Stakeholders spanned national ministries, local councils, housing associations such as Peabody and Clarion Housing Group, developers, lenders including the Bank of England-regulated clearing banks, and resident groups. Consultation processes referenced submissions from organisations like the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Town and Country Planning Association, and campaigning groups such as Shelter (charity). Parliamentary scrutiny occurred through select committees in the House of Commons and debates in the House of Lords, while local plan examinations engaged planning inspectors at the Planning Inspectorate.
Performance monitoring employed datasets from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and statistics from the Office for National Statistics on housing supply, completions, and affordability metrics used by the Resolution Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Independent evaluation by the National Audit Office and audits in select committees assessed value for money, delivery against targets, and impacts on housing affordability measured in affordability ratios tracked by the Lending Standards Board and mortgage market analyses from the Financial Conduct Authority. Outcomes included increased completions in some regions, contested progress on affordable housing delivery, and varied uptake of modern construction methods by major builders.
Critiques emerged from advocacy groups like Shelter (charity) and the Trussell Trust where links to housing insecurity were debated, and from opposition parties including Labour Party (UK) and Liberal Democrats (UK). Concerns raised in the House of Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee and reports by the National Audit Office focused on shortfalls in affordable housing outputs, planning deregulation effects highlighted by the Town and Country Planning Association, and the adequacy of land-value capture proposals critiqued by academic commentators at institutions such as the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford. High-profile disputes involved local campaigns in places like Haringey and Camden, and legal challenges engaging courts including the High Court of Justice.
Category:Housing policy in the United Kingdom