Taylor Review proposals "strong way forward" - CIH

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) welcomes the package of proposals in the Taylor Review and believes that together they offer a strong way forward to ensure better planning in a way that is sensitive to local needs.

CIH Chief Executive Sarah Webb said: “It is crucial to get a balance between the social, economic and environmental sustainability of rural areas and to ensure that villages are maintained as vibrant places that allow people to live and work locally. If villages are inhabited predominantly by retired, wealthy individuals and younger, working families are priced out, the long-term sustainability of entire communities risks being lost.

“CIH is pleased to see that the Taylor Review has a more sensitive interpretation of what sustainability means in rural areas. Rather than blocking the building of new homes in a village on the basis of its lack of services, we should work closely with local people to assess how a housing development could add to or diminish the sustainability of the community. In many cases we should consider building homes to attract families, shops, schools, transport and the wider economy back into rural areas and ensure they have a long-term future.”

CIH is pleased that many of its recommendations to the Taylor Review, including agreeing targets for rural housing to ensure that they address the right needs and working locally and regionally to set thresholds for affordable housing. CIH also welcomes the recommendations around Regional Development Agencies building on their existing strengths as they develop Single Integrated Regional Strategies, an argument CIH is making with Shelter and the National Housing Federation in its ongoing work around the Sub-National Review.