After the general election on 5th July 2024, the Labour Party were elected with the largest majority government in 25 years. With this, they have begun to introduce their new policies and targets for the country, one of which being “Get Britain Building Again”.
House building targets have been increased, and the reasons why, alongside the plans to achieve these targets, have been clearly laid out – we explore further in this article.
//What Were the UK House Building Targets Before the Labour Party’s Election to Power?
Previously, the Conservative Government had 2 separate house building targets:
- 300,000 new homes every year
- 1,000,000 new homes over the whole Parliament
These were big asks and figures for housebuilding during this time show this:
2023-24 figures have not been released yet, but you can see that the totals above are below 300,000 year-on-year so the target was not being met. It’s important to note that the pandemic did have an impact on this, but these figures have put the onus on Labour to hit their own targets now they are in power.
//What Are the UK House Building Targets for 2024/25?
Starting from 2024 and over the next 5 year parliamentary term, Labour have set the UK house building industry a target to deliver 1.5 million new homes. This higher target has been set in part to urgently address the issue of chronic undersupply of land that has underpinned the housing crisis.
Labour have stated that they will not deliver this target if there is too little land allocated. However, they are determined to ramp up new housing supply and to show resilience after the Conservative Government previously failed to reach their targets.
The new targets are mandatory and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is currently being revised to support this, with the consultation closing on 24th September.
National Planning Policy Framework Revisions
The revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework reflect the new mandatory housing targets. The updates include:
- A mandatory method for assessing housing needs
- Reversing changes made to NPPF in 2023
- A new calculation for local plans to support target
- Expanding the definition of brownfield land
- Identifying grey belt land withing the green belt
- Clarifying the circumstances for sustainable development
- Delivering affordable, well-designed homes with new “golden rules”
- Local planning authorities prioritising affordable homes
- Supporting economic growth in key sectors
- Delivering community needs
- Supporting clean energy and the environment
//How Does Timber Frame Construction Support This?
Timber frame construction is one of the best ways to meet this new house building target for many reasons. Labour is dedicated to increasing social housing, supporting councils and housing associations to build their capacity and contribute to the supply of affordable homes. At Pinewood, with our 40+ years of success, we understand that speed is the primary driver for these projects and timber frame construction supports this. With MMC, a strict design process and a weathertight method of build, it is quicker to erect and a much more predictable form of construction.
Given current planning hold-ups, offsite timber frame construction can help developments get started quickly once their planning is finally realised. This will speed up a bottle-necked industry.
With the focus moving towards sustainable development, timber frame is also the best choice for this driver as it is a truly renewable material. Without compromising the quality of developments, timber frame construction produces 40% less carbon than masonry construction and supports a circular economy. Plus, they have a minimum design life of 60 years and are all strictly quality controlled during the design phase, offsite construction and on-site assessments.
//Interested in Learning More?
Timber frames can benefit your next housing project and help the government reach their new UK house building target! At Pinewood, we’re able to provide timber frame walls, floor joists, roof systems (including One-Roof™) across the country and can be trusted to deliver. Submit an enquiry by getting in touch below or call us now on 01767 651218 to find out more.
