Crucial questions raised in the House of Lords about ensuring funding and stronger standards for housing quality – especially for homes produced without full planning scrutiny under permitted development rights
The TCPA, in partnership with researchers at UCL, has been examining the health impacts for people living in homes produced through permitted development rights (PDR). The individual accounts of residents are often harrowing and upsetting – women with their children who have been placed in PDR housing to escape domestic abuse are finding themselves exposed to new threats to their safety. They are housed under the heavy surveillance of private landlords, exposed to drug dealers and prostitution outside their doors, and have little to no access to any safe play space. People with mental health conditions and disabilities, describe feeling trapped in isolated and polluted locations – alongside major roads or out of town industrial estates, within prison-like and poorly insulated mouldy studio spaces.
Lord Crisp noted that good quality, safe housing is the foundation of a good life, stating that the debate on housing must look beyond numbers.
The TCPA is clear that ongoing problems with poor quality homes need to be addressed by the new government. It was therefore very welcome that Lord Nigel Crisp (Crossbench) noted this gap during a debate in the House of Lords on Thursday 18 July. He said it was crucial for the government to ensure that there are improvements in quality across the whole housing system – particularly those produced through PDR. Lord Crisp welcomed the minister’s comments that that good quality, safe housing is the foundation of a good life, stating that the debate on housing must look beyond numbers: that we must also emphasise quality and the standards of those homes to ensure we create not just housing estates but real communities.
Lord Hunt committed to delivering energy efficient new homes with proper insultation, along with reform of the National Planning Policy Framework, the next generation of new towns, and hiring 300 more planning officers.
The new Minister of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – who introduced the debate, which was focused on the King’s Speech – did not address the concerns about PDR but did recognise significant challenges regarding housing in the UK. He stated that ‘a safe, secure, affordable home is the foundation of a good life’ – a sentiment that is at the heart of Association’s Campaign for Healthy Homes. He therefore acknowledged the need for good quality housing – and argued that the new government would speed up new development with the reintroduction of local housing targets.
Lord Hunt also committed to delivering energy efficient new homes with proper insultation, along with reform of the National Planning Policy Framework, the next generation of new towns, and hiring 300 more planning officers. He said the emphasis would be on ‘nature-friendly’ housing that prioritised ‘grey-belt’ land and brownfield sites, and recognised the importance of ensuring future residents have access to GP surgeries, schools and community amenities.
Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe (Labour) – pointed to the need for a social housing renewal programme with a minimum level of funding to properly upgrade and decarbonise existing homes. She welcomed the new government’s intent to improve building safety including through a new fund to make homes safe for everyone. Also on that topic, Lord Fuller (Conservative) asked for greater financial freedoms to be given to district councils to allow them to borrow sufficient funds and to allow them to set up development corporations that would help to de-risk the development process.
Several peers endorsed the proposed reforms to the private rental sector, presented in the Kings Speech, including the application of the Decent Homes Standard.
Several peers endorsed the government’s proposed reforms to the private rental sector (PRS), presented in the Kings Speech, including the application of the Decent Homes Standard to the sector. Lord Etherton (Crossbench peer) stated that the Renters Reform Bill requires a careful balance of protecting tenants but avoiding of driving out PRS landlords – noting that 4.6m people rent their homes through PRS, including 1.3m households with children. Lord Young of Cookham (Conservative) called for speeding up to protections for leaseholders – noting the failure of remediation for too many residents living in housing blocks that continue to have unsafe cladding around the country.
Lord Lansley (Conservative) stated that he was pleased about the reintroduction of mandatory national housing targets, and noted that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes some important measures, including on land assembly and compulsory purchase powers. He also called for a revision of the standard method for assessment of housing need, to better reflect demographic changes and affordability and the relative price of housing, as well as to reflect projections on future employment need across functional economic areas and travel to work areas.
Earlier this year, the TCPA launched a manifesto, setting out our vision for the first 100 days of the new government. One of the overarching priorities must be a strong focus on delivering affordable housing and healthy place-shaping.
Further links
The TCPA’s research and resources on permitted development rights: tcpa.org.uk/permitted-development
UCL research project examining the health impacts of housing from Permitted Development conversion: uclpdhousing.co.uk
Parliament TV link about the debate: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/0317dcd8-ebee-4243-9dab-77ce018153d0
The TCPA’s Campaign for Healthy Homes: www.tcpa.org.uk/collection/campaign-for-healthy-homes/
The TCPA’s manifesto – 100 days to rebuild Britain: www.tcpa.org.uk/resources/100-days-to-rebuild-britain-the-tcpas-vision-for-the-next-government/
