Housing secretary Steve Reed has said the government’s long-term housing strategy will be published in September in order to give the incoming prime minister time to sign it off.
During an oral evidence session in Westminster, hosted by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Reed said that a number Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) decisions had been paused “where the incoming prime minister would want to take a view”.
He confirmed that both the national housing strategy and the £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) should be looked at by the new administration.
Andy Burnham is set to become the UK’s next prime minister following Sir Keir Stamer’s resignation.
Regarding the housing strategy, Reed said he had signed off what he assume was the final draft, adding that it would likely be published at the beginning of September.
“It is just about ready, and I am sorry that we have not been able to publish it already,” he told the committee. “It is right that an incoming prime minister should get a chance to give it the once-over. It is so close to being completed that I expect you will have it by the beginning of September.”
When pushed by chair Florence Eshalomi on whether bids for the £39bn SAHP would be put on hold with no funding allocated over the summer, Reed said it would be up to the new administration “to take that decision”.
Will Garton, director-general for local government, growth and communities, also told the committee that the ministry wanted to “talk the new administration through the choices they make before decisions are made” on the £39bn SAHP.
However, Reed claimed this would “not have any negative impact on getting the housebuilding going”.
Other delayed decisions highlighted by Reed include announcements on high street funding, the overnight visitor levy, further established mayoral strategic authorities and “some aspects of leasehold reform”.
“I think those are the key ones,” he said.
While Reed claimed that it was “appropriate” for the incoming prime minister to look at significant reforms before they “complete their journey through”, he confirmed the latest draft of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) would be published “imminently”.
“The NPPF is only just coming through its consultation,” he said. “I wish the consultation had been quicker, because if we could have had those reforms available and in operation back in February, for instance, that would have given the sector more time to work with them.
“Some of the changes we are making in the NPPF, such as a yes by default around train stations where the public transport infrastructure is already in place, those are such obvious places to get building. We anticipate that around London about a million new homes could be built around existing railway stations where land is available to develop on, and nationally 1.8 million homes.”
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