Housing minister Brandon Lewis has hit back at opposition to the new “vacant building credit” regulation, claiming it had support from a number of trade bodies.
At the end of 2014, the recently installed Lewis introduced the credit to help smaller developers build more homes across the UK.
However, Westminster city council has said it would cost it £1bn pa from its affordable housing pool, and the planning regulation has attracted mass criticism.
Lewis said an extensive consultation had resulted in some 300 responses.
He added: “The policy was endorsed in the consultation by the likes of the Federation of Small Businesses, the Home Builders Federation, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the British Property Federation. They said that the proposed policy would encourage the refurbishment and regeneration of brownfield sites and bring vacant buildings back into use, especially given the higher costs of building on previously developed land.”
The new credit allows for buildings that are vacant when planning is secured for residential conversion to only pay an affordable contribution on any new space. Prior to its introduction, the provision was levied on the full size of the building.
BPF and HBF have been contacted for comment.
