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Whilst the latest National Planning Policy Framework provides some green shoots in terms of definitions, there are still many questions left unanswered as to whether we will see the level of commitment required to deliver the Social Homes we need.
We welcome the changes introduced to the definition of housing for social rent, which ensures it is distinguished from other affordable housing tenures in all forms of state policy. However, the absence of an agreed proportion of housing for social rent on all new housing developments annually is a blow to communities who need to be reassured that the next wave of homes will meet their needs. We now need to see this enacted in the Local Plan.
There has been no change to the policy on energy efficiency in new homes - this leaves low-income households vulnerable to high heating bills unless this is rectified. The cost of retrofitting is much higher than incorporating energy performance measures at the outset.
The reduction in costs is also a reduction in the burden on the public purse for the future. Manchester’s local plan needs to ensure that development building takes a fabric-first approach, ensuring the exemplary standards set out in the Labour Manifesto are met.
It is important that the prioritisation of brownfield development and re-use of existing buildings has been highlighted, as the failure to re-use land efficiently and to build places could put communities’ much valued green spaces at risk.
We remain very concerned about permitted development rights for office-to-residential conversions and are disappointed that the Government has not prevented the development of poor-quality homes for low-income households going ahead in this way.
Previous successive governments have failed to “fix the foundations” of places, with developments throughout Manchester unable to be delivered with the infrastructure people need.
We welcome the stronger requirements for health and transport infrastructure to be delivered in advance of major housing delivery.
Investing in social rented housing is not only socially responsible but also economically sound. Research shows that building 90,000 social rented homes per year would pay for itself in just three years, while adding £51.2 billion to the UK economy over the next 30 years.
Background
The revised Framework comes after a Social Homes For Manchester Commission's report, highlighting the stark reality of the current housing situation in the city:
Manchester has the second-highest homelessness rate and the highest rate of temporary accommodation outside London
Nearly 18,000 households are on the city's social housing waiting list
Manchester has lost over 16,000 social rented homes since 1979 due to Right to Buy sales and a failure to replace lost stock
The private rented sector, where many people are forced to live, often provides poor quality, insecure, and unaffordable housing. 43%, or 17,565 of Manchester’s private rented housing has been assessed as ‘non-decent’
The Right Reverend Dr. David Walker, Bishop of Manchester and Chair of the Commission, said: "Access to safe, secure, and affordable housing is a fundamental human right. The current housing crisis is a moral and economic imperative that demands immediate action. The Commission’s research sets out a clear path forward, and we urge the government to adopt our recommendations to ensure everyone has a place to call home."
The Manchester Social Housing Commission brings together tenants, grassroots community organisations, campaigners, political leaders and officers at Manchester City Council, senior public and voluntary sector housing and planning professionals, and academics to accelerate delivery of housing for social rent that is ecologically sustainable in the City of Manchester by 2030.
We are making five key demands of national government:
1. Reinvest in Social Rent:
The government must significantly increase public investment in ecologically sustainable social rented housing
2. Reform Planning to Prioritise Sustainable Social Rent:
The planning system needs reform to promote and require a higher percentage of social rent in new housing developments and ensure new homes are sustainable
3. Rethink the Right to Buy:
The Right to Buy scheme, which has contributed to the loss of over 2 million social homes in England, should be suspended for new and existing tenants
4. Retrofit Empty Homes for Sustainable Social Rent:
Bring long-term empty homes back into use as social rented housing, retrofitted to high energy standards
5. Embed Community Voice and Ownership into the Planning System:
Empower communities and their elected representatives to shape investment decisions in their neighbourhoods.
Looking ahead to the Local Plan release:
150,000 children are living in temporary accommodation across the UK. A business-as-usual approach to housing will continue to blight their lives and prospects. Investing in a new generation of sustainable homes for social rent would reduce homelessness, save millions currently going to private landlords and give whole communities the basis to thrive long into the future.