The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Housing Market & Housing Delivery has published a report “Barriers and Bottlenecks to Greater Housing  Delivery” which contains the findings of a major consultation on the UK housing market.

In August 2020 the APPG opened a consultation into the UK housing market to answer the question: “What are the challenges of delivering the required number and mix of housing units that the UK needs to meet current and future demand?”

2,897 formal responses were received, from a wide range of stakeholders, including planners, house builders, housing associations and landowners.

In addition, over four days of oral-evidence sessions in October and November, APPG officers heard detailed personal testimony from fourteen industry leaders.

Headlines:

• The industry is divided on the viability of the UK Government’s 300,000 target. Roughly half (49%) of the respondents said they did not believe the government’s target to deliver 300,000 homes a year was feasible, compared with 41% who believed it could be achieved.
• Considerable scepticism about the potential of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Only 20% of respondents thought it would play a significant role.
• Planning remains the biggest hindrance to housing delivery.
• The industry is very positive about net-zero, with 71% of respondents believing that net-zero requirements for new-build will help the delivery of quality homes.