The government has opened a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, while planning and building-safety developments continued to shape the delivery environment this week. National planning signals, a backlog at the Building Safety Regulator and rising institutional interest in build-to-rent also featured.
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
- Government consultation launched on extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, closing 18 December.
- Planning minister told PINS the revised NPPF has a “universal tilt” in favour of granting permission.
- A planning inspector allowed up to 150 homes on designated green space after a local authority failed to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
- Building Safety Regulator Gateway 2 caseload increased as developers submitted applications ahead of the building safety levy.
- Knight Frank initial data shows UK build-to-rent investment reached £4.2bn in the first nine months of the year.
PLANNING & REGULATION
Pennycook highlights NPPF’s “universal tilt”
The planning minister wrote to the Planning Inspectorate saying the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is designed to boost housing supply and “unlock economic growth”, and described it as having a “universal tilt” in favour of granting permission. The letter sets out the ministerial view on the policy emphasis as inspectors and local planning authorities apply the revised framework.
Inspector allows 150 homes on designated green space
A planning inspector allowed a housebuilder’s outline proposal for up to 150 homes on land designated as green space after finding the local authority could not demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. The inspector also awarded partial costs against the authority for acting unreasonably in the handling of the application.
BUILD COSTS & CONSTRUCTION
Gateway 2 backlog swells as levy deadline approaches
The Building Safety Regulator reported a rise in new build submissions to Gateway 2 in September, with new submissions nearly doubling month on month ahead of the building safety levy coming into effect. The regulator said it has increased staffing and is triaging applications; schemes covering more than 40,000 homes are now in the queue and the median approval time for complex applications was reported at 34 weeks.
New chief construction and scientific adviser appointed
The government has appointed Sergio Cavalaro, professor of infrastructure systems at Loughborough University, as its chief construction and scientific adviser on a full-time basis for three years. The role is intended to provide independent construction, engineering and scientific advice on building safety, quality, resilience and productivity across the built environment sector.
DEVELOPMENT FINANCE & MARKET CONDITIONS
Build-to-rent investment reaches £4.2bn in nine months
Knight Frank’s initial build-to-rent market update showed investment across the sector hit £1.6bn in the third quarter, taking the total committed in the first nine months of the year to £4.2bn. Single-family housing represented a substantial share of third-quarter deals, and institutional investors were cited as active participants in the market.
LANDLORDS & INVESTORS
Government launches Awaab’s Law consultation for private rented sector
The government has launched a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, seeking views on how the measure should work and when it should come into force. Awaab’s Law, already in force for social housing, sets strict timeframes for landlords to fix serious hazards such as severe damp and mould. The consultation will also assess impacts and consider protections for other accommodation types, and will close on 18 December. The housing minister was quoted as saying renters should have the same protections irrespective of tenure.
Until next week
Team PDBC