Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Conclusion 16

3rd Report - Delivering 1.5 million new homes: Land Value Capture Published 28 Oct 2025 Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Currently, stretched local planning authorities are likely to focus their limited staffing and resources on affordable housing delivery as a priority, rather than establishing and administering CIL, even where CIL may be financially viable. The reintroduction of strategic planning in England presents an opportunity for greater co-operation between local authorities, including by pooling CIL receipts to deliver larger infrastructure projects. This collaboration may also encourage more local authorities to establish CIL charging schedules across a wider area, and thus improve CIL coverage. This adds to the case that the Government must invest in dedicated planning officers for the new Strategic Authorities. (Conclusion, Paragraph 87)

From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, 3rd Report - Delivering 1.5 million new homes: Land Value Capture (HC 672), 28 October 2025

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 20 March 2026 (deadline 28 December 2025).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the Committee's inquiry and says it "recognises there is more to do" on developer contributions, accepting some recommendations, noting or not pursuing others, and pointing to its NPPF consultation and wider reforms.

  • On Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) coverage, the government "has agreed to the Committee's recommendation and commits to publishing a map of CIL coverage in England", but intends to do so without accompanying information on rates.
  • On funded Level 7 planning apprenticeships, the government "notes" the recommendation and considers that funding apprenticeship routes alone "does not guarantee" learners will work in or remain in local planning authorities. It points instead to its Planning Capacity and Capability Programme.
  • On planning fees, it does "not consider it appropriate to fund local plan-making through planning application fees". On a statutory Section 106 dispute resolution scheme, it does not intend to implement the 2016 Act provisions "at this time" but "will keep this under review".
  • On land value estimates, the government is developing updated estimates and says "the aim is to publish updated values for a range of land uses this year".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error