Industry Responds to Government Levelling Up Blueprint

INITIATIVES UNVEILED in the government’s Levelling Up White Paper have provoked a variety of responses from industry.

The Levelling Up plans published on 2 February 2022 are arranged in 12 new missions to spread opportunity and reverse regional inequalities.

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove heads the plans, which are set out in a 332-page paper and aim to encompass many aspects of life and opportunities in the UK.

In targeting job creation and boosting regional economies, the plans include agendas that will directly affect the construction industry. Plans are included for regional regeneration, councils, planning, housing, housing quality and decarbonisation, as well as training.

INDUSTRY RESPONSES

Housing Quality and Decarbonisation

Gillian Charlesworth, CEO of the Building Research Establishment (BRE), focuses on the government’s plans to tackle poor housing in the UK, as outlined in the paper.

Gillian Charlesworth, CEO BRE

Gillian Charlesworth, CEO of BRE, said, “We welcome the White Paper’s intention to improve people’s wellbeing and standards of living by enhancing the quality of the UK’s housing stock. We are pleased to see recognition of the links between the economy, health, and the built environment but we really need to see more detail on the measures required to deliver these outcomes.

“Local authorities will need clear support and direction if they are to deliver high quality housing within the community – but how in practice this can be achieved was missed by today’s paper. Many local authorities have already struggled as successive budget cuts have limited their capacity to focus on delivering the levelling up agenda. We hope to see further detail on the Government’s plans to support them with the skilled people, financial resources and data that they need.

“Another key area of opportunity missing from today’s White Paper is a clear and long-term plan for decarbonising our buildings and training the hundreds of thousands of retrofit workers needed to deliver net zero. Measures that support a clear and effective plan to improve the quality and sustainability of the UK’s housing stock should be at the forefront of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda – but today’s paper signals a missed opportunity to outline this.”

Planning Reform in Limbo

Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “The Levelling Up whitepaper is still to be fully digested, however, at first look, we see some encouragement, for example on spatial planning, SME finance and compulsory purchase, however, it appears a document full of already announced schemes, funding and strategies.”

The white paper is split into three parts; the full document, a metric and a regional ‘what we have already done’ release.

In terms of housing, there is a commitment to a National Landlord Register, ending ‘no fault evictions’, a Social Housing Regulation Bill, a repeat of the retrofit strategies already announced in the Heat and Buildings strategy and the announcement of a task force to improve housing choices for older people.

For planning, the Government appears to be further rolling back from its ambitious, opportunity enabling ‘Planning for the Future’ proposals and instead, has focused on digitisation of planning, tools for engagement and making places and homes ‘beautiful and useful’.

However, it was positive to see the Government echo NFB recommendations to explore compulsory purchase and great powers for HomesEngland.

Rico Wojtulewicz, House Builders Association

Business as Usual

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy for the House Builders Association (HBA), said, “Planning policy is the opportunity enabler and therefore without a commitment to planning reform, levelling up will be business as usual. The broken, party-political planning process hinders the building of new schools and hospitals, makes transport projects delayed and more expensive, stops new employers taking on skilled workers because they cannot find commercial space, and is the reason we have a housing crisis.

The Government thinks brownfield in Bradford will help get homes built in brownfield-less Barnstaple; that developers should placemake – despite councils deciding where homes are permitted to be built. And that it will oversee homes built in the North to support new jobs, even though many councils are already building more than 200% of the minimum housing targets. This doesn’t feel like a revolution for Britain but rather an evolution of how to sell a slogan.”

Long-Term Financing Needed

Guto Davies, Head of Policy at ACE

Guto Davies, Head of Policy at ACE, said, “While the ‘12 national missions’ are welcome to drive activity and ensure spending remains both targeted and on track, they are nothing without properly structured long-term financing for local government to realise these political ambitions. Our concern is that the current approach remains too compartmentalised to be truly effective.

“We do, however, welcome the longer-term view on levelling up. The truth is there is no panacea and only sustained investment over the longer-term will address systemic and chronic issues.”

“ACE is looking forward to continuing its role as a practical partner on levelling up, and will engage with the Government on the forthcoming Levelling up and regeneration bill which was previewed in the White Paper.”

Winners and Losers

Peter Hogg chair of ACE’s places group adds, “The headline announcement around the 20 cities earmarked for investment, as well as the range of funds mentioned in the paper, demonstrate the core issue. While welcome for the areas lucky enough to have ‘won’, replacing competition and ring-fenced funds with consolidated longer-term funding for local government would enable a joined-up approach – crucial if we are to meet the significant challenges of building more prosperous, healthy and productive communities, while delivering a Net Zero built environment.

“Additionally, smaller towns and rural areas often lack the in-house planning, placemaking and design expertise to pull together compelling strategies, build business cases, and put forward viable regeneration projects. As such, the current approach unfortunately still runs the risk of creating winners and losers, when we should be spreading opportunity more equally.”

Builders at the Heart of Plans

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said: “The FMB welcomes the announcement of the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, containing a number of recommendations that have the potential to boost small, local builders. Local builders work all across the UK, building much needed new houses, improving existing homes, and offering high quality career opportunities for young people. Builders are at the heart of every single community and are key to making sure people can work locally, train locally and stay local, which uplifts every part of the nation in equal measure. For levelling up to be a success, effective and joined up working across government departments will be vital.”

“For local housebuilders, loans through the Home Building Fund should be targeted at reversing the decline in SME housebuilders, who are now delivering only 12% of our housing stock, down from 40% in the 1980s. Local housebuilders develop on underutilised land that will be vital for hitting housing targets. However, these plans must make sure we’re helping to deliver new homes where demand is highest.”

“It’s positive that the Government is taking steps to improve the quality and energy efficiency of our existing housing stock in the private-rented sector. Local builders will be critical to the success of this policy and should be considered at each point of its implementation. Similarly, the strategy’s ambition to create locally developed and led skills plans is much needed. Small building companies train 71% of all construction apprentices, and have a central role to play in training the next generation of tradespeople and offering highly skilled, highly profitable careers.”

>>Read more on government plans in the news