Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
4
Recommendation
3rd Report: Building more social housing
Deferred
Reform of the Land Compensation Act 1961 is well overdue. We reiterate the recommendations of our predecessor Committee. The Government should amend the Land Compensation Act 1961 so local authorities and development corporations have the power to compulsorily purchase land at a fairer price. The present right of landowners to …
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Reform of the Land Compensation Act 1961 is well overdue. We reiterate the recommendations of our predecessor Committee. The Government should amend the Land Compensation Act 1961 so local authorities and development corporations have the power to compulsorily purchase land at a fairer price. The present right of landowners to receive ‘hope value’ reduces revenues and opportunities for social housing. Compensation paid by landowners should be determined by an independent expert panel, which we expect will deliver a fairer deal than the current model.
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Government response AI summary
The government did not commit to immediate amendment of the Land Compensation Act 1961, but it stated its intention to publish proposals in the Autumn for consultation, including potential further reforms to the land compensation regime to make it fairer and easier to reach agreement.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
19
Recommendation
3rd Report: Building more social housing
Deferred
It is right that the Government has identified the importance of reforming planning fees to support the capacity and skills of planning departments. It is imperative that local planning authorities have the right resources to deliver the social housing this country needs, and to ensure private developers deliver sufficient social …
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It is right that the Government has identified the importance of reforming planning fees to support the capacity and skills of planning departments. It is imperative that local planning authorities have the right resources to deliver the social housing this country needs, and to ensure private developers deliver sufficient social housing on new developments. We recommend that the setting of planning fees should be devolved to local authorities, with a national minimum rate.
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to developing a resources and skills strategy for the planning sector and will explore options to introduce a new planning fee structure to properly resource local planning authorities. This defers the specific recommendation to devolve fee setting to local authorities.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
21
Recommendation
3rd Report: Building more social housing
Deferred
Local authorities should receive 100 per cent of Right to Buy receipts. The time limit for using these receipts to fund a replacement should be extended to five years, rather than three. Councils should also be allowed to combine receipts with other pots, like grant funding, to maximise flexibility. Receipts …
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Local authorities should receive 100 per cent of Right to Buy receipts. The time limit for using these receipts to fund a replacement should be extended to five years, rather than three. Councils should also be allowed to combine receipts with other pots, like grant funding, to maximise flexibility. Receipts must be used to fund like-for-like tenure replacements: a sold social rent home should be replaced with a new social rent home. Without these changes, Right to Buy will make achieving the development of the desired 90,000 properties per annum unachievable.
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Government response AI summary
The government is considering its response to a consultation on Right to Buy receipt rules, which will be published in due course. It notes that local authorities currently have freedom to determine housing needs and tenure of replacements.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
26
Recommendation
3rd Report: Building more social housing
Deferred
The Government must keep a careful watch on the rate of replacements. If, despite these reforms, replacements are still below a one-for-one rate, the Government must intervene further. The Government should fully disaggregate its quarterly Right to Buy data by tenure for sales and replacements, and publish a full review …
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The Government must keep a careful watch on the rate of replacements. If, despite these reforms, replacements are still below a one-for-one rate, the Government must intervene further. The Government should fully disaggregate its quarterly Right to Buy data by tenure for sales and replacements, and publish a full review of the Right to Buy scheme by the end of this Parliament, assessing a full range of options for its future. (Paragraph 135) Building more social housing 57
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges that Right to Buy replacements are not meeting the one-for-one commitment and monitors the rate. It is considering its response to a consultation on options for flexibilities and broader measurement, which will be published later.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government