CPF 

EASTERN REGION

Workshop on Housing

17 July 2025

Informal note Without Prejudice

Introduction

There have been to many empty promises to build more houses and it is incumbent on the Conservative Party to put forward policies to actually deal with building these needed houses under a new ambitious positive strategy.

Data on house completions indicate that more efforts are needed to meet demands and national targets. We need a positive building strategy which should be initiated as soon as possible with wide consultation 

To do that we must adopt a different approach to house (and infrastructure) construction

Homeownership is at the core of our British culture. The right to own your own home in which a prosperous economic society can be achieved 

Conservative Party to Champion Homeownership 

The Conservative Party should declare it is in favour of home ownership and champion policies to promote that aspiration for all. We must annually build more than 300k  houses with modern infrastructure alongside. Building houses  promotes growth and economic prosperity. The funding for this will mainly come from private sources

Looking to the Future

Looking to the future we have to note that there has been an increase in the number of young and older people who for various reasons live alone. This is a further reason to build more homes. House prices have rocketed and more could be done to incentivise the house ownership orthodoxy.

We should offer a direct contract with the British people 

Proposals 

for 

A Contract to build more houses

The Conservative Party should support and champion home ownership for young people. 

Set out a new house building strategy and contract based on the following practical policies to cover 

•  Promote homeownership for young people and instil the opportunity for economic prosperity by delivering the necessary incentives (financial and fiscal). This will fulfil the aspirations of many young people.

• All properties (houses and flats) should be freehold.

• The purchase of a property is a fantastic opportunity to save for the future. This should be recognised. All investment is and asset

• Houses / flats built with modern eco friendly design and materials, built according to demand and cost including traditional builds and modular construction with individual specifications with housing design codes adopted 

• Large developers should not be able to self certify their builds under Building Regulations Rules. Recent complications have demonstrated this is not good practice for the house buyer.

• The modular construction can be of various sizes and affordable and can be manufactured in a factory (including all utility fittings), erected on site in a day for the smallest and a little more for others. The cost managed, the size open to affordability. The objective to speedily get as many houses built covering all types and sizes. This action will go some way to fulfilling the aspirations of many young people. These structures – some with timber frames being well tested for durability 

• The same criteria applicable to a traditionally built property

• Clear positive guidelines for LPA’s to maximise the potential to build houses in their Authority to satisfy demand. New rules to ensure there are no preconditions or specific conditions set out to restrain house building. These have traditionally been used and introduced to pacify the NIMBY culture but also to restrain the building of houses

• Planning application determined within the 8 weeks timespan – no extensions – no additional demands – no excuses. Failure to comply resulting in permitted development to proceed to build.

• Encourage a secure funding strategy (often from private borrowing) for the builder, especially the local small builder and self builders. This will evolve if building permissions are speedily granted and houses erected and sold quickly. Turnover is essential for lender, builder and buyer. The mortgage lenders will respond

• Adopt a mortgage incentive plan with mortgage lenders to build houses bringing about prosperity for those living in that location. 

ALSO

• Better access to land with certainty to build without preconditions and conditions demanded as part of the permission to build. 
• A register of available land drawn up in each LPA. Cut out bureaucracy in planning rules to create a positive message to build. Adopt an attitude to solve the housing crisis. Let common sense rule

• Planning rules supporting viable property building both within and especially on land adjacent to Towns and Category A villages 

• Brown field sites and areas where flooding could disturb any building construction to be fully explored and economic and practical  viability tested

• Parts of the Green Belt and Areas beyond the Green Belt to be positively considered as development land following consultation. 

• Well designed individual homes to satisfy the aspirations of buyers. °All houses to be provided with an adequate garden for the resident’s private use 

• Green spaces surrounding the properties to accommodate leisure and play. The planting of trees and bushes.

• Incentives to establish local amenities such as community centres, a well stocked shop with services to provide affordable prices, facilities for youth gathering and for an aging society. Access to public transport. Future local medical support.

Economic and Fiscal Incentives

Mortgage lenders – Builders – Buyers

• Building Developers continue to introduce incentives such as help with deposits, payment of stamp duty, conveyance costs. (These incentives however are not affordable to the small local builder and do nothing for the self builder).
• Self builders many who could be aspiring young people given the chance to purchase plots that a developer has obtained planning permission and done the necessary utilities ground work. A percentage on the site allocated covering all levels of interest from first time buyers, downsizes, to those who want a custom design.

• Discussions to take place with mortgage lenders on the following 

• Extending the Right to Buy Scheme with reduced deposit and equity loans and repayment terms spread over longer terms.

• Mortgages to be made available based on market accessibility through the private lending sector taken out over an extended period covering the home owners working years. Incentive to buy.

Incentives through Government action

• Stamp Duty waived on purchases of houses up to £500k for first time, young buyers and for those downsizing 

• Mortgage interest relief at source be reintroduced for 5 years for an unlimited sum. This would provide additional monthly income to encourage homeownership. Also a fiscal incentive. This part of our policy to reduce state control

Building Houses brings Growth to an Area

Building houses and infrastructure creates growth in the economy. Employment for builders and other trades plus the services that follow on. In addition individual personal saving for the future.

Funding to build houses mainly coming from the private sector based on the logic that houses are an asset for the future.

Banks and mortgage lenders given confidence that their lending strategy is secure and the interest payments continue to bring in interest returns

Conservative Party Ideology

The Conservative Party should adopt policies to encourage building contractors (SME’s and self builders) and buyers  – to create certainty to borrow funds – Incentives for first time house purchase (and for down-sizers to vacate their family homes). This would include a contract between the above with banks and mortgage lenders

We as a Party must fulfil the aspirations of the many 

Look to a modern future. 

Champion house and infrastructure developments 

Buyers have to start somewhere

July 2025

Background Information 

The Labour Party policy to build houses really means more council houses. In the Public Spending Review £39bn has been marked up to build council houses. This is an ideology to deter homeownership and creates an economic problem for the future. If the majority of new houses are council or social houses the build will have to be funded by local authority or state funding. That means increasing taxes. The housing of migrants has to be put into the debate but their needs for a house / flat must not come above U.K. citizens.

Remember also the socialist ideology is actually to control the population by economic dominance.

Younger people could be tempted to move towards a renting society catching them into a socialist mode.

Those renting may not get the opportunity to acquire an asset which they can use for their future. Rent for a council house (or a private rent) continues after a person has retired which provides them with no financial equity backup.

Although some may prefer just having to pay rent with no maintenance cost on the property it is short sighted for both the individual and the economy of the country. 

We as Conservatives want to see individual prosperity.

Our Objectives

Our objective is to lower taxes and reduce dependence on the state. Foster individual prosperity and responsibility. Make life better for ourselves 

So the rhetoric has to stop and positive recommendations should be made (and delivered) by the Conservative Party. A period of serious consultation is needed involving everybody.

A New Vision to have a positive House / Infrastructure Building Strategy

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) still retains a strategy of restraint. The NPPF should encourage Local Planning Authorities, builders, self builders, mortgage lenders and the public with clear positive house building guidelines.

Current Legislation

The current legislation centres on the Town and Country Planning Act of 1948 – subsequently amended in the 1990 Act (this legislation is not fit for purpose). It needs to be repealed and a modern Act to replace it portraying the “principles” of our modern society

The Labour government have presented the “Planning and Infrastructure Bill 2025” which is being considered by Parliament. It is intended to bring about a streamlined process for building 1.5 million house (parts of the Bill are being amended). The Party should scrutinise this Bill very carefully to ensure our principles are maintained

Suggestions 

We would urge the Party to come forward with an overall house building strategy that includes:-

• Building private dwellings of all sizes funded by the private sector through homeownership 
• Maintaining high standards of construction
• Catering for the increase in population that has occurred (especially under immigration policy)
• Taking into account modern ECO materials to build and a high level of insulation aiming to reduce emissions 
• Building dwellings in the right places
• Ensuring that infrastructure is a part of the strategy to build new houses
• There should be no objections to building houses on land adjacent to Towns and Category A Villages. 
• The building levy to be used in full to improve the facilities of the town or village where new building takes place 
• The strategy should declare that the objective in building houses will be to add economic prosperity.
• Concern in certain areas property will be purchased by investors – many potentially from abroad – that will not advance the strategic prominence to aid homeownership. This needs serious debate.
• Change the rules whereby currently developers can sign off on the Building Regulations on a large development site. (This does not apply to small local builders and self builders)
• Create incentives for self builders to be able to purchase plots on sites that have been made ready by establishing general service utilities. A means for individuals aspirations 
• Both Brown field sites and areas noted for flooding should have their status fully investigated for practical viability before being used

Use of preconditions and building conditions

The Consultee Regime

Stop the use of “Preconditions” and Consultee “Conditions”.

Planning Officers should stop using bureaucratic measures insisting on “conditions” that have to be undertaken before any actual building takes place. These conditions can hold up a development for many months even years. Large developers can weather the inconvenience but a small local builder and self builders have financial restraints if they are not able to get on with the build. This adds to the final cost of the house. 

We should scrap “preconditions” and all unnecessary other conditions to approve planning applications. These have  been used by planners to pacify the NIMBY culture which we hope is something of the past. Lengthy duplication of reports on the environment, habitat, archaeology, flooding etc. should be abolished. We need to just build. Same applies to important infrastructure

The “official consultees” regime is not transparent in the way they operate nor in this new age of digital activity do we examine what terms they operate under. Do these consultees have a mandate, maintain transparency, a consistent official guideline, even a veto, or just individuals expressing a personal view. Some are part of and funded by public service finance others, NGO’s and some external bodies, used to create restraint in building and infrastructure. 

(Just look at the history of HS2 – the bat tunnel being one example – but there are many other examples that do not become public knowledge). 

The waste of time and the cost becomes unsustainable. The “consultees” have no actual powers but LPA’s have allowed planning officers to defer to them. They can veto planning applications and insist actions be taken “on their insistence”°. All this is time consuming and costly and not necessary.

These consultees seem to take on a role to monitor the build as if they own the project.

As an example look for yourself at any local planning application. The application itself (perhaps for a small extension) may take up just 4 pages but all the reports demanded by the Consultee regime takes up another 24 pages.

The small local builder (and self builders) become overwhelmed 

Review the functions of Quango and National Agencies 

in house and infrastructure building

We should review all quango bodies, including national bodies ( and those they control) :: Environment Agency :: OFWAT (where this week announcements are being made). All and others involved in house building and construction projects. These external opinions are not necessary if we have well qualified LPA Planners.

Training for Councillors and local authority Officers

Councillors and planning officers must not hide behind the comments of consultees and other such bodies. We must have professional experienced planning officers and Councillors taking the view that if a consultee opposes a planning application – that is but a comment to be considered.  It is the responsibility of the LPA – their decision to decide. These consultees are only there to express a view not act in the decision process. It is the planning officer, under delegated authority together with Councillors that make the decision. It appears that the consultee expressing a negative opinion provokes the planning application to be refused or conditions set out that are time consuming, very costly and duplication.

Position of Local Residents

Local residents must continue to have their say within a planning application process in order that those interested can express their views. Many comments are duplication of a template which is drawn up by a small group. Planning Officers should however concentrate on planning rules and precedent.  Comments should be restricted to actual planning matters. 

Review the work of NGO’s

The Conservative Party should review the function of all publicly funded NGO’s to decide whether their existence can be justified certainly their terms and objectives should be examined 

Offering Sites for Self Builders

One way to develop individual prosperity would be to create sites on developments that are set up for self builders with utility services all included so that individuals are able to design and construct their own dwelling, find the funds and build. Another means to further individual aspirations 

Promoting house / infrastructure Decisions

We need to promote a housing and associated infrastructure strategy providing speedy  planning permission to provide private capital and fiscal  incentives otherwise we will not achieve annual targets. Delays result in the project budgetary increases creating undue stress on both political and social economic policy. This strategy can also include council / social houses since private funds can be made available as required. A Social housing policy, as against council houses, all financed within a strategy to build houses using a formula to cater for all parts of our society

Planning Application timetable

The 8 weeks for a planning application to be finally decided should be rigorous. If no decision forthcoming the application treated as approved. No excuses, no extension.

It is accepted that local residents should have their views taken into account and that can be achieved within the 8 weeks where consultation should take place. In the majority of cases the local community will be involved if the number of houses exceeds 50 on any site

Offering alternative building sites

Important that houses add value to the place where they are built and in some instances houses could be built over motorways and tunnels (even rail lines) which would be a revolutionary approach.

New Towns for The Future

The idea of building new towns must also be on the agenda where all up to date  structures can be employed including the use of solar panels, wind turbines, ground heat pumps, combined heat and power facilities and small nuclear modular reactors. All designed to be self sufficient in the new town

It is noted that a new town cannot be built immediately but if we adopt such a policy we should start planning now. No talk talk – complete the walk.

Infrastructure for transport / roads in and out of the new town and within. Encouragement for business to run alongside and generate employment locally without long commuting journeys. Electric and environmentally friendly means to be gained within the new town. Self drive all electric transport.

Some concern that the strategy for a new town will be swallowed up by outside investors and immigrant  housing.

Where we can we should regenerate all our cities and towns in a modern and progressive manner

It is realised that new towns being constructed in the way mentioned here could take time to build but we must stop talking and take decisions that will create the economic change required. All property in a new town should be freehold 

Listen to the Younger Generations 

Young people want to own their own home and in a changing economic environment to take advantage of the prosperity that follows. We must hear them.

The Party should design procedures of listening and implementing ideas generated by younger citizens

Local Government Reform

Devolution to the Regions / Creation of Unitary Councils

Election of Mayors

We discussed the benefits of local government reform and devolution to the regions from Whitehall. The creation of Unitary Councils where planning decisions – housing, infrastructure, business property, road and highways all come under one authority. A joined up policy model

This would avoid Councillors being pressured locally on planning issues by the nimby culture – it does happen

The Conservative Party should make a commitment – a contract with the young electorate to deliver more than 300,000 houses every year.

The election of  Mayors

Creation of Unitary Councils

The way in which we elect local Mayors needs to reflect the composition of the community.

If Unitary Councils are created taking on board responsibilities currently undertaken by District and County Councils plus the Police, Fire Services and certain parts of Integrated Care Groups there will be pressure to combine the leadership under a Mayoral practice.

The Party should urgently open up the debate on this issue

Land availability

Houses of ALL Types

There is no shortage of land in the U.K. and the ideology surrounding “green belt” and areas defined as “beyond the green belt” should be open to common sense discussion. If a site is available, viable, in the right place it should be considered a sustainable venture. Investigation should include what agricultural status the land in question has and whether a proportion of that land used for building new houses will reduce the potential for viable agricultural density

We should promote building houses on land adjacent to Towns and Category A villages which would add to those  communities economic and social well being. In addition a chance to add locally needed amenities financed by the building levy.

Houses of all types – size and design including bungalows and flats and self builds which will  increase council tax income, and the increased  number of residents add prosperity to the town or village. 

The objective should be “live for the future not the past”

Skilled Labour

Shortage of skilled trade workers is an issue but that will be solved if there is a positive secure building and funding policy. That includes fast delivery of modular struc