Politics-free development sector on the horizon? It seems so.
The UK is currently grappling with a housing crisis, with politics often hindering practical solutions. As the country seeks to address this issue, the focus has primarily been on planning reforms that optimise land use for housing delivery.
One key proposal is to ensure a mix of housing types and tenures in new developments. For instance, North Norfolk's 2025 modifications require developments to include minimum proportions of affordable homes, serviced self-build plots, and specialist elderly/care provision, with flexibility only if unviable on specific sites.
However, the emphasis remains on land use policies that balance housing needs with environmental and community considerations. Planning decisions still incorporate assessments of flood risk, community impact, and infrastructure capacity.
Academic discourse around spatial planning in 2025 discusses frameworks like "land sparing and land sharing," which clarify strategies for concentrating intensive development in specific areas ("land sparing") versus integrating housing with green/open spaces ("land sharing"). This framework informs planning but does not eliminate political control over land use.
On the political/legal side, reforms like the Renters' Rights Bill 2025 focus on strengthening tenant protections but do not directly address separating land use from politics.
Despite the push to improve housing delivery, there is currently no widely adopted or government-backed proposal in the UK explicitly aimed at removing or separating land use decisions from political processes. The mechanisms remain rooted in politically accountable local and national planning policies designed to balance competing interests and deliver housing targets.
The shortage of consented land and delays in the planning system are causing intense competition for available land, leading to higher bids, less variation between conditional and unconditional offers, and reduced benefits for new communities and infrastructure.
As the general election approaches, Toby Lambert, head of residential development at Carter Jonas, discusses the need for political parties to address the property sector. The Labour and Conservatives have opposing views on the property sector, with Labour supporting Green Belt release and housebuilding targets, while Conservatives are opposed to Green Belt release and often block development through indecision and delay.
The developer's utopia would include the abolition of planning committees for increased consistency and transparency in planning decisions. Politics would remain involved in the development sector, particularly in fiscal matters like providing initiatives for first-time buyers and incentivizing downsizing.
Greater consistency in housebuilding input requires greater consistency in the requirements made of developers. Strategic planning should operate outside the remit of local authorities to avoid being swayed by constituents' sentiment, especially during elections.
The industry is facing challenges, with sales rates currently as low as 0.5 sales per week per operational outlet, impacting the financing of development schemes. A 'zoning' process, proven to work in other countries, may provide a solution to date for land allocation.
England is the hardest place in the developed world to find a home, with the lowest rates of vacant homes across all OECD nations. The argument for separating land from politics has never been more valid, as recent political decisions have contributed to the housing crisis. A nationally based, arms-length organization could draw up policies for planning decisions, rather than the Secretary of State.
The mechanisms for land use decisions remain politically accountable, but the debate continues on whether a more independent approach could provide a solution to the housing crisis. The industry awaits further developments in this area.
References: 1. North Norfolk Council - Local Plan 2025 2. National Planning Policy Framework 3. Planning Practice Guidance - Flood risk and coastal change 4. Land sparing and land sharing 5. Renters' Rights Bill 2025
- The housing crisis in the UK is predominantly addressed through planning reforms that optimize land use for housing delivery, while balancing housing needs with environmental and community considerations.
- One proposal for new developments is a mix of housing types and tenures, as demonstrated in North Norfolk's 2025 modifications. These include affordable homes, serviced self-build plots, and specialist elderly/care provision.
- Academics discuss frameworks like "land sparing and land sharing" to guide development, but political control over land use remains, as seen in the Renters' Rights Bill 2025's focus on tenant protections rather than separating land use from politics.
- As England faces the housing crisis, some suggest a nationally based, arms-length organization could draw up planning decisions to reduce political influence, following the example of a 'zoning' process used in other countries for land allocation.
