Changing The Planning Landscape...Starter Homes

The love affair with changing the planning system as the panacea for solving the housing crisis is in full swing. The Government has now succeeded in forcing through parliament what may prove to be one of the most fundamental changes to housing delivery in modern times. A valiant attempt was made by the House of Lords, spear-headed by Lord Kerslake, to challenge what will be a fundamental shake up of social housing as we have come to know it.

A housing crusade and a move from 'generation rent' to 'generation buy' was a core manifesto commitment of the Conservative government.  Surveys suggested more than 60% of those renting privately wanted to buy their own homes and the affordability of homes was often the sole reason they did not buy.  Starter Homes was heralded as the answer.