Labour’s promise to deliver 1.5 million new homes within this parliamentary term will require the construction of over 1,150 homes every working day for the next five years, equating to at least five large-scale housing estates weekly.
This monumental task demands a detailed plan from the UK Government, specifying how and when these homes will be built.
Essential infrastructure planning must accompany these developments, including education, policing, health, transport, and employment services. It’s unrealistic to expect existing metropolitan areas to absorb the additional strain without comprehensive support.
A skilled workforce is crucial to bringing this vision to life. Cross-party cooperation and strong stakeholder engagement are needed to ensure the plans are both realistic and achievable.
Areas identified for new housing must respect greenbelt status, with a preference for redeveloping brownfield land.
However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has indicated that some green belt land will be utilised, following a review to prioritise alternative available land.
Reeves referred to the planning system as an obstacle but committed to delivering the new homes. A variety of tenures will be necessary to serve both buyers and renters.
Revising the planning system, implementing improvements, and using technology for better insight and delivery are essential steps.
With the UK population expected to reach around 70 million within the next decade, housing supply must keep up with demand to prevent artificially high costs for both buyers and renters due to undersupply.
Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, said: “There is no doubt that the new UK Government must prioritise building homes the nation desperately needs, and that is why we welcome a commitment to deliver new homes and review green belt boundaries with a view to prioritising brownfield and grey belt land to meet manifesto pledges.
“Local councils need as much support as possible in meeting the new UK Government’s aims. Building 1.5 million new homes by the next general election is a challenging target, but Propertymark would like to see urgent clarity and detail as to how this ambition can be achieved. This goal would require over a thousand new homes to be built every working day before 2029.”
