Government Elevates Housing Construction Targets

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stated that local councils would need to “work together” to achieve the newly established housing targets. These remarks were made during her visit to Cambridgeshire with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, where they unveiled an updated national planning policy framework. All local authorities within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have received higher targets. The government now anticipates these authorities will construct a combined total of 5,802 homes annually, an increase from the previous yearly figure of 4,627. The government’s broader objective is to complete 1.5 million new homes prior to the upcoming general election. Cambridgeshire, already experiencing significant home construction, was selected by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister as the location to formally introduce the revised initiative. Plans for more than 250,000 new residences in the Cambridge area had been previously announced by the preceding government. These plans drew considerable criticism from local councils due to insufficient details regarding infrastructure, particularly water supply. Addressing the issue from the Alconbury Weald development, the Deputy Prime Minister suggested that councils across Cambridgeshire “can combine so it doesn’t have to be one local authority against another.” She further indicated that the government intends to collaborate with local councils, urging them to “look at where they want to see that development [and] crucial infrastructure too.” Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council currently operate a joint planning service. In 2023, these councils had projected the need to construct “around 2,463 new homes a year” to “meet the forecast jobs in Greater Cambridge.” A representative for the shared service commented: “We note today’s publication of a housing target for the Greater Cambridge area is 2,309 homes per year. On that basis, the housing target is similar to the figure we’re already envisaging for the new Greater Cambridge Local Plan.” The spokesperson also acknowledged that “There are nevertheless challenges to delivering this number of new homes each year, and the councils will be reviewing the implications of the other changes outlined today.” Regarding Peterborough, Nick Thulbourn, the cabinet member for growth and regeneration, stated that the city council was “poised to implement” the compulsory figures within their forthcoming draft local plan, which is scheduled for public consultation next year. Thulbourn remarked, “We have an appetite to grow as a city and can deliver these additional homes, along with the infrastructure surrounding them. However, we need to take the time to make sure we are recommending the right places for development – which will help to grow our city in the right way for years to come.” Conversely, Anna Bailey, the Conservative leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, expressed disappointment that the updated framework lacked additional powers to compel developers to commence construction after receiving planning permission. She highlighted that “hundred of thousands of planning permissions across the country that are just not getting built,” and further asserted that this situation implies developers “still in control of the market and the build-out rates” and are unwilling to “flood the market and reduce prices.”