The November Statement Must Deliver Real Reform

Having spent over two decades working in the UK housing sector, I have witnessed first hand the persistent gap between policy ambition and delivery. UK governments consistently pledge to build more homes, yet housing supply continues to lag behind demand. Prices remain elevated, affordability worsens, and communities continue to experience chronic undersupply.

The root problem has always been and remains structural. The system that should convert planning applications into completed homes is fragmented, under-resourced, unnecessarily complex and overly influenced by local politics.

Developers, local authorities, and communities alike face uncertainty at every stage, slowing delivery and inflating costs.

Recent temporary interventions such as easing London’s affordable housing requirements, investing in nutrient mitigation, or recruiting additional planners are welcome, but they do not address the underlying deficiencies.

Without decisive action in the November Statement, these sticking plaster measures risk providing short-term relief.

Planning Bottlenecks and Political Influence

The role of local planning authorities is without doubt challenging and without proper funding or training they are under chronic strain.

They must reconcile national housing targets, environmental obligations, and intense local political pressures, often with insufficient staffing and resources. The result is delays, inconsistent decisions, and a system that favours inertia over delivery.

An independent national housing authority could provide the oversight and accountability the system currently lacks.

Such a body could:

•    Approve developments in areas where local authorities under-deliver

•    Coordinate infrastructure contributions and environmental mitigation

•    Monitor adherence to national housing targets

•    Provide stability and clarity for developers and councils alike

Globally many countries have insulated housing delivery from local politics through independent agencies. The reality is the UK cannot rely on voluntary compliance or goodwill alone; structural mechanisms are needed to ensure delivery.

The rise and rise of Nimbyism

We have all, far too frequently, seen proposals that meet statutory requirements delayed or blocked due to organised and well funded local opposition. While these objections are often framed as protecting local character, they frequently undermine broader housing needs.

Schemes for hundreds of homes, fully aligned with local plan allocations, faced significant delays due to small but vocal groups of objectors. A silent majority in need of affordable housing or better infrastructure are left without a voice or a home.

Modern Methods of Construction

One of the most underutilised tools in UK housing delivery is modern methods of construction (MMC). Modular construction, prefabrication, and off-site assembly can substantially reduce build times, improve quality, and provide more predictable costs.

MMC can bring projects forward months faster than conventional approaches. Yet adoption in the UK is hindered by inconsistent planning guidance, misaligned procurement, and limited experience within local authorities. Integrating MMC into national housing policy through clear regulation, incentives, and guidance could dramatically accelerate delivery at scale.

Recent Government Measures – Welcome but more is needed

There have been some recent positive interventions:

• Affordable housing in London: Reducing quotas from 35% to 20% has improved scheme viability.
• Nutrient neutrality reforms: Investment in wastewater infrastructure and mitigation funding is starting to unblock constrained sites.
• Planning recruitment: Government pledge of £46 million to hire 300 additional planners addresses part of the capacity gap in local authorities.

These measures are welcome, but they will not be sufficient to tackle systemic constraints. Without reform of the underlying structures, progress will remain patchy at best.

The November Statement Must Deliver Structural Reform

If this Government is serious about housing delivery it must take this opportunity to move beyond temporary measures and deliver lasting reform. Essential steps include:

• Multi-year investment to ensure planning authorities can process applications efficiently and consistently.
• Establishing an independent housing authority. Expert-led, insulated from local politics, accountable for delivery, and able to enforce national targets.
• Implementing coherent environmental frameworks to reduce uncertainty and quickly unblock development.
• Providing long-term affordable housing policy unaffected by party or local politics.
• Integrating modern methods of construction to enable faster, higher-quality builds.

These measures would go some way to addressing the structural challenges of insufficient capacity, inconsistent decision-making, and regulatory uncertainty.

Concluding remarks

The UK has the land, capital, and expertise to meet its housing needs. The obstacle is the system itself. Nimbyism, political interference, regulatory misalignment and slow adoption of modern construction methods continue to restrict housing supply.

The November Statement offers a rare opportunity to implement structural reform. It is a chance to scale planning capacity, create an independent delivery body, embed policy stability, coordinate environmental obligations, and leverage modern methods of construction.