Propertymark has welcomed the pledge by new Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to boost housing supply.
In a tweet following his appointment to Prime Minister Liz Truss’ first cabinet, Simon Clarke, said he was looking forward to returning to the department and working to unlock the homes the country needs.
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns for Propertymark, said: “The doors of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have been revolving at some pace in recent years. The sector now needs the stability of long-term appointments throughout its ministerial team.
“High on Simon Clarke’s to-do list must be policies that help to close the gap between supply and demand in the sales and rental markets, so it’s encouraging to see his early commitment to unlocking the homes that are desperately needed across all tenures to meet the demands of a population that is growing and living longer.
“On levelling up, there are challenges and opportunities for our sector. For example, our commercial member agents are concerned about the practicalities of enforced ‘auctions’ of empty high street properties.
“It is essential Mr Clarke’s team works with property professionals to understand the market to ensure their policies are workable.”
