4 June 2020 What roles will the public sector play in re-starting and growing the housebuilding programme? In partnership with:
Post Webinar Report What roles will the public sector play in re-starting and growing the housebuilding programme? 4 June 2020
In partnership with: Chair: Toby Fox Managing director, 3Fox
Panelists Cllr Alison Butler
Cllr Nesil Caliskan
Deputy leader and cabinet
Leader, London Borough
member for homes and
of Enfield
gateway services, London Borough of Croydon Cllr Peter Mason
Oliver Maury
Cabinet member for housing,
Partner and head of London
planning and transformation,
sector (regeneration and asset
London Borough of Ealing
strategy), Montagu Evans
OVERVIEW The discussion ranged widely and this report contains a sample and summary. Watch the webinar in full at thevoiceofauthority.co.uk, and subscribe to stay updated on future episodes.
Post Webinar Report NEVER HAVE COUNCILS HAD SUCH A DIVERSE AND PIVOTAL PART TO PLAY IN HOUSING DELIVERY
by Oliver Maury, partner and head of London sector, specialising in regeneration and asset strategy, Montagu Evans In preparing for this webinar one of the main challenges was to keep to two or three key topic areas that would provide the panel with plenty of debate whilst maintaining a focus on matters most important to housing delivery and the role that councils might play going forward. This is a wide subject area that can easily get quite technical whilst also igniting plenty of passion and opinion; perfect one might say for a panel-based webinar!
As we digest the profound impact of Covid-19 on all corners of our society and economy, the future of housing delivery and our collective ability to meet needs-based targets certainly remain an area of debate. The general consensus seems to be that private sectorled development, traditionally underpinned by market sale tenures, is likely to see some compression in the short-to-medium term. With this in mind the senior councillors expertly drawn together for the panel by The Voice of Authority from Enfield, Croydon and Ealing Councils, explored with some vigour three specific themes: • What capacity do councils have to support the delivery of housing targets, and should these targets be adjusted in light of Covid-19 and other longer-term trends? • How big a part will council-led housing delivery have to play going forward, and what forms might this take including direct delivery and partnership models? • How can the housebuilding programme meet the zero carbon challenge and councils’ Climate Crisis pledges?
On many fronts there was strong consensus; for example on the need to support councils with more direct and indirect funding to add capacity as well as invest where needed to deliver more
Post Webinar Report housing, including vital affordable tenures and/or sustainability targets.
Equally there was a recognition and genuine will and appetite for councils to intervene in delivery through direct development and partnership models, with all three councils noting their own diverse housing programmes. There is no "one size fits all" approach.
Whilst a relatively modest contribution to housing numbers, it is clear councils see a growing role for themselves going forward, including in targeted areas of affordable housing, sustainability, design quality and placemaking.
Some of the diverse questions posed by the viewers included: • How can we ensure that councils get the investment in planning that is needed post Covid-19, given it should be seen as an essential service? •
What is the best way for private developers to make contact with the public sector in an effective manner, with regard to offering its capacity to deliver sites, in partnerships or otherwise?
• Can the panel envisage local authorities coming together to aggregate demand for modular housing using common standards? • Would the panel agree that there is great scope for local authorities to collaborate with each other and with RPs and the private sector to address capacity issues?
Clearly the theme of collaboration is as important now as it ever has been, particularly with significant headwinds ahead, and especially if we are to address the climate crisis whilst meeting mixed tenure housing need.
At Montagu Evans we are delighted to support both public and private sector, and consider and address these challenges, so it was a delight to support the debate and to reflect upon our collective responsibility to find solutions.
Don't miss a webinar! The Voice of Authority has webinars every week with key guests from local authorities, big name developers and thought leaders. Make sure you check thevoiceofauthority.co.uk/webinar for the latest updates, or visit the 3Fox.co.uk website for a full calendar of our upcoming sessions.