The independent report into housing needs commissioned by the Labour Party (undertaken by Sir Michael Lyons) is now available, and it makes a series of wide ranging recommendations on powers for planning and the provision of new towns.
‘Your Britain’ (Labour’s online policy hub) writes:
The report recommends measures to tighten the responsibility on councils to increase the supply of land through local plans and give them greater tools to ensure that new homes are built. It proposes changes to simplify and speed up the planning process, including ‘redline’ applications for small sites. It recommends a more active role for local government in the assembly and preparation of land and in risk sharing partnerships with developers, landowners to deliver more new homes through Housing Growth Areas and New Homes Corporations as local delivery agencies.
There should be a new focus for the Homes and Communities Agency on delivery and attracting investment. The review also argues for a more ambitious approach to Garden Cities and beyond that to new Garden Suburbs and re-shaping our towns and cities to deliver up to 500,000 new homes.
