Ahead of the final few shopping days before Christmas, there has been very welcome news that inflation has fallen again, now down to 3.9%. This is the lowest level it has been since 2021, before Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine sent global energy costs soaring. This is because we took the difficult decisions to get inflation under control, all measures opposed, as ever, by Labour.
This is key for the economy as it eases the pressure on cost of living and increases the likelihood that mortgage rates will start to fall.
In the final week of Parliament before Christmas, the Government confirmed the National Policy Planning Framework, in effect the rules that govern planning, housebuilding and targets. This seeks to balance the needs for housing, delivering the necessary infrastructure (roads, schools, hospitals etc) and providing communities with the powers to block poor quality development.
All Governments aim for 300,000 new homes per year, a target missed every year for the last 30+ years – though pre-Covid we came close, but still short of the 300,000. The result is demand exceeds supply, pushing up prices, making it increasingly difficult for the next generation to get onto the housing ladder.
Governments are ultimately thwarted for a number of reasons, something I spoke about at the SNAP business breakfast.
1 – Local Authorities need to work pro-actively with developers. To Swindon’s credit, there has been cross-party support to do this. This allows the Local Authority to shape the development, in return for a faster approval. Tadpole Garden Village was an example of this, where planning permission was granted quickly in return for: increased parking provision, the green lung north of Tadpole Lane, significant biodiversity offsetting, allowing schools to be built at the beginning of the development and superfast fibre broadband as a given. Too often, other Local Authorities or politicians try to frustrate any development, leading to delays and then ultimately poor-quality development.
2 – We need to recruit and train more planners. Across the country Local Authority planning teams are understaffed and that adds avoidable delays to planning applications.
3 – Good design needs to be a given. It seems obvious, but not all developers work with the local communities to make sure they are bringing forward good quality developments. I welcome the measures to in effect force this in the National Policy Planning Framework.
4 – Biodiversity Offsetting is essential. To mitigate the impact of development, offsetting the impact by upgrading either adjacent, or nearby green (lungs) areas allows the balance to be struck with the need for housing and protecting our vital natural habitats. Where possible, this land should be managed by organisations like the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust who have the knowledge and expertise.
5 – Finally, banks and building societies need to be more innovative with new products to help the next generation secure their first mortgage. This has already started with longer mortgages, considering rental history etc.
This is an issue I have been active in since I first became a Councillor and now in Parliament as an MP. Home ownership is vital for local communities and for creating opportunities for the next generation. Swindon alone can’t deliver the nation’s housing needs, but at least we have shown the way.
Finally, may I wish all readers and their families a wonderful Christmas!
