The BPF has backed the government in its aim to impose a deadline on the creation of local plans by all UK local authorities.
The measure will be part of the Housing and Planning Bill and government will now intervene if local authorities do not have plans in place by 2017.
At the same time, the BPF warned that the government was too focused on home ownership and that it should focus more on tenures such as the private rented sector in order to ensure that the government encourages large-scale housebuilding.
Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “This is a potentially game-changing announcement, and one we wholeheartedly support, since local plans are fundamental to growth. Local plans provide certainty, which is the holy grail for investors, and ensuring that all local authorities have them in place will have a positive effect on investment.
“It is absolutely critical that hand in hand with this requirement comes a clear change in approach to local plans to make them slimmer, more targeted and more effective. This is particularly important now, given how many local authorities are under enormous pressure financially and strapped for time and resources.
