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Housing: Construction

Question for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

UIN HL13673, tabled on 12 February 2019

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support local authorities to meet housebuilding targets; and what guidance they provide to assist local authorities in their negotiations with developers.

Answered on

26 February 2019

Government has already dedicated over £44 billion of investment to help local authorities to deliver the homes communities need. On 14 February, the Government announced nearly £250 million of housing deals which will deliver almost 25,000 more homes. As part of this, the government will be investing £157 million in infrastructure such as building roads and putting natural green space alongside developments.

Last year Government introduced a new approach to viability assessment through the revised National Planning Policy Framework and accompanying guidance. The new approach ensures that developers will have greater certainty about what they are expected to contribute, and that these costs can be reflected in the price paid for land. Local authorities will be better able to hold developers to account and will need to set out more clearly for communities what infrastructure and affordable housing has been delivered through developer contributions.