The Week in Housing: MIPIM, planning reforms and Homes England boss on the agency’s future

While the sector in England was digesting the planning reforms, Inside Housing was speaking to parliamentarians and senior leaders about the plans at the MIPIM property festival in Cannes, France.

The shadow housing secretary explained why the government’s move to strip councillors of their powers in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is a “fundamental mistake”.

During the conference, rumours swirled that the government’s housing and regeneration agency could be folded into the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Inside Housing sat down with Homes England boss Eamonn Boylan to hear how the agency will need to evolve as affordable homes programmes are devolved to combined authorities.

Wales had its own planning news, as the government penned a new agreement with a tech firm to deliver a planning service across the nation.

Additional government announcements in England came from housing minister Matthew Pennycook as he urged HM Land Registry to improve transparency of landownership and support leasehold reforms.

An extension to the Four Million Homes training programme was announced, in a move Whitehall hopes will “empower social housing residents”.

The English regulator published its latest annual Value for Money report. It revealed that housing associations in London are spending nearly 50% more than the national average on each existing home, partly due to post-Grenfell remediation work.

In Scotland, the housing regulator’s annual analysis of landlords’ financial statements for 2023-24 found that turnover increased by nearly 6% to £2.11bn.

This report was followed by a warning from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations that social tenants cannot end up paying for building decarbonisation after the government scrapped a flagship bill for green heating plans.

The Building Safety Regulator has come under increased pressure over its capacity to give the green light for remediation work under the new regime. This left some experts “alarmed and worried” after it was revealed that 202 buildings with a large panel system around England have both a gas supply and no record of the strengthening works which were recommended following the fatal Ronan Point disaster in the 1960s.

One Inside Housing commentator asked: who really pays for defective housing? Cecilia Busby, an associate at law firm Trowers & Hamlins, sought to answer that question as she explained the implications of a £13m remediation contribution order against the original developer of Vista Tower.

A story that caught the sector’s attention was the decision by a major house builder to sell its modular housing factory after ending its interest in volumetric modern methods of construction. The method has proved difficult to scale up to make more of a contribution to the sector’s development plans.

Recruitment in the sector is also an issue. Commissioners overseeing one bankrupt council warned that the issue of unfilled vacancies is the “biggest challenge” to it carrying out “vital” work on its housing stock.

Some ambitious announcements for new homes were made this week. Barnet Council has adopted a new local plan for 2021 to 2036 that aims to deliver almost 44,000 homes.

At the same time, more than 17,000 new homes are being proposed as part of Manchester United’s plans for a new stadium and regeneration of the Old Trafford area.

There were also a number of senior sector appointments, including Aster Group appointing its first chief of staff.

MHS Homes recruited a managing director from Flagship Group to be its chief executive.

A specialist affordable housing provider for older people appointed a new boss from Home Group.

Inside Housing published its latest Board Member Briefing, which looks at how board members can stay on top of repairs amid shifting regulations, rising complaints and spend on housing conditions.

This was followed by our latest CPD module, which looked at what has been learned in the first year of the consumer standards. Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at the Regulator of Social Housing, discusses the findings so far.

Have a great weekend.

Stephen Delahunty, news editor, Inside Housing

Editor’s picks: five stories you might have missed

East of England landlord secures £32m funding from major bank

Former Homes England executive appointed to drive Greater Manchester town’s regeneration

Persimmon to increase affordable housing delivery amid forecast of ‘growing market’

West Midlands landlord names interim chief financial officer

Large Birmingham landlord to upgrade 6,000 homes with £300m investment