Bigger plans needed to prepare for a housing industry upturn according to the TCPA » Housing » 24dash.com

Responding to the latest household projections issued by the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) today, planning and housing charity the TCPA called for bigger plans to be laid for major developments in readiness for a future upturn in the housing industry.

TCPA Chief Executive Gideon Amos:
"Yet another set of research has highlighted the major undersupply of homes in this country despite the economic conditions that now make their delivery more difficult. Central and local Government should respond by releasing public land and subsidising Housing Associations and other providers to help maintain construction capacity through this downturn.

Plans will need to help prioritise the most viable projects now. This period should also be used to prioritise masterplanning major urban housing growth and other developments, such as eco-towns, so they are ready to roll when the industry picks up."

The TCPA supports the aspiration to achieve three million new homes and recently gave evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee on the subject of new homes and the use of empty homes. The charity pointed out that over 3% of the housing stock across England is empty. While a proportion of the homes are empty because they are being bought and sold, a further significant fraction are empty awaiting refurbishment.

Gideon Amos added:
"It is easy to suggest that families ought to move into empty homes instead of building new ones. However replacement stock can be far more energy efficient and offer a better quality of life. In addition many people do not want to live in boarded up houses in areas where there is no economy. In reality only a small proportion of need can be met from empty homes, though every effort must be made to make use of those that can be made habitable and suitable as homes in the twenty first century."

The TCPA supports the release of empty homes and has previously worked with the Empty Homes Agency on the topic.