May proposes planning overhaul to fix homes shortage

Theresa May on Monday unveiled a shake-up of planning rules to encourage the construction of more homes, as local authorities and developers insisted they were not to blame for the housing crisis. The prime minister proposed an overhaul of the national planning policy framework – the rules governing the building of homes in England – as she admitted that the housing shortage was reinforcing inequality, and said that young people were “right to be angry” that they were not able to buy their own property. The government is concerned that certain local authorities are failing to allow sufficient development, and ministers accuse some housing developers of wrongly not building properties on land where they have planning permission, according to the FT. The Times reports that a legal loophole used by property developers to halve the number of affordable homes they have to build is to be closed under the government’s proposed planning reforms. The Independent explores whether builders are really to blame for the UK housing crisis and whether Theresa May’s sanctions will work. Meanwhile the Guardian reports that as the prime minister unveiled the package of measures to boost housebuilding, a government pledge outlined in the Autumn budget to tackle the housing crisis by giving councils more powers to crack down on empty homes has yet to be implemented. Click here for the full Times article (£) Click here for the full Guardian article Click here for the full Independent article Click here for the full FT article (£) Click here for the full Telegraph article