“Political infighting has been put ahead of the promise to build more homes.”

The British Property Federation, the voice of the UK property sector, has reacted to an announcement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (“DLUHC”) that new measures on planning and housebuilding will be added to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

Melanie Leech, Chief Executive, British Property Federation, said:

“We have an acute lack of homes in the right places and removing mandatory housing targets will mean that we are further than ever from meeting this need, and that young people and families miss out on the opportunity to have their own place called ‘home’. It also beggars belief that fewer homes will be built at a time when the economy is contracting, undermining growth and jeopardising jobs across the construction supply chain.

“Political infighting has been put ahead of the promise to build more urgently needed homes for hard working people and families up and down the country, the very opposite of levelling up.”

The announcement from DLUHC is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/communities-put-at-heart-of-planning-system-as-government-strengthens-levelling-up-and-regeneration-bill