Regional planners 'advised' to consider increasing housing provision across England by up to 500,000 homes

Regional planners have been advised to consider increasing housing provision across England by up to a further half a million homes by 2020 in a bid to improve affordability.

That's the upper level of new housing supply additions outlined by a Government think-tank, the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU), in a paper, Meeting the housing requirements of an aspiring and growing nation, which takes into account demographic, economic and housing affordability trends.

Ministers will now consider how the unit's advice will be translated into guidance for regional planning bodies as they review their regional spatial strategies (RSSs).

The East of England Regional Assembly is concerned and worried over the advice.

Derrick Ashley, Chair of EERA's Regional Planning Panel said: 'These figures must be regarded as highly doubtful. We have continually pointed out to Government that housing growth in the region would only happen if the jobs and infrastructure are provided, and we can't see where the money would be found to support this level of growth, even if it was judged to be sustainable.'

The figures also rely on projecting forward extremely high levels of migration, an issue on which the Government itself has said it intends to reduce. Different solutions must be found to ensure people have a home, which is why the Assembly has pressed Government to increase its support for affordable housing.'

The unit has stressed that the figures in its long-run housing supply ranges are not targets. The unit's document has made it clear that 'the upper end of our supply range should not be viewed as a cap and some Regional Planning Authorities may wish to test plans for a higher level of housing provision'.

Stephen Nickell, the unit’s chair, insisted: 'Our advice is not a target. It is a proposed supply range to be tested – we have provided the 'bookends'. These should provide sufficient flexibility for regional planning authorities to deal with a range of outcomes reflecting regional priorities and circumstances'.

The unit’s advice has already generated controversy. The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) has criticised the housing numbers as 'highly doubtful'.

According to the think-tank that region may need up to 486,000 homes by 2020, some 165,000 more than set out in the region’s RSS published by the Government two months ago.

Derrick Ashley, chair of the EERA’s regional planning panel, commented: 'We have continually pointed out to Government that housing growth in the region would only happen if the jobs and infrastructure are provided, and we can’t see where the money would be found to support this level of growth, even if it was judged to be sustainable.'

Countryside lobby group the Campaign to Protect Rural England claimed the unit was 'out of touch with the real world'. CPRE senior planner Kate Gordon argued: 'The housing industry is in crisis. We cannot build our way out of the housing affordability problem.'

However, the Town and Country Planning Association said the unit's assessment had highlighted the major under-supply of homes and called on central and local government to release public land for residential development and to start planning for increased housing provision.

TCPA chief executive Gideon Amos said: 'Plans will need to help prioritise the most viable projects now. This period should also be used to prioritise master planning major urban housing growth and other developments, such as eco-towns, so they are ready to roll when the industry picks up.'

Housing and planning minister Caroline Flint said she would take some time to consider the unit's advice and would be hearing the views of the regions before deciding how to respond.
 
She said: 'Over the coming months I am determined that we in Government will do everything possible to continue to promote stability and fairness in the housing market. Because I do think that sometimes, out of adversity can come opportunity - the chance to do things differently.

'And in particular, I want to explore what scope there is for public investment in social and affordable housing to take up the slack in order to maintain supply.'