Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of revising the Government’s housing targets to take into account social rent, intermediate and affordable homeownership housing-types.
Our standard method is only the starting point in the process of planning for new homes. It is not a target. For local authorities, planning to meet that need will require consideration of land availability, relevant constraints, such as the Green Belt, and whether the need is more appropriately met in neighbouring areas, when setting out targets in their local plan. In relation to the mix of specific housing types, our National Planning Policy Framework sets out that it is for local authorities to assess the housing needs of different groups, including those who require affordable housing, and to reflect this in their planning policies.