Michael Gove housing plans

Michael Gove's proposal to 'relax' planning rules surrounding building more homes reeks of political desperation as the Conservative government attempts to claw its way back in the polls. It's more likely than not that the plan is yet another drop in the bucket of empty promises given Gove's anti-development actions as of late. The levelling-up secretary vetoed Marks and Spencer's proposal to revamp its flagship Oxford Street store in an attempt to reinvigorate the dying high street in London, and with no reason given. The government isn't making housebuilding any easier for developers, either. New rules that are set to take effect in 2025 require housebuilders to install better insulation, alongside technology such as solar panels — all while having to pay higher taxes on profits. These moves are only going to further disincentivise housebuilders from building more homes. As such, Gove's comments seem more like political PR than genuine action.

There are very few high quality office block conversions, which is evidenced by mortgage lenders' reluctance to offer mortgages on these types of property. Whilst there may be great development potential in Mr Gove's South East constituency, many office block conversions are out of town with little in the way of services or community.

Whilst in theory this may sound like a good idea, many lenders don't like to lend on properties that are above or close to business premises. Lenders consider borrowers on this type of property higher risk, resulting in fewer options when it comes to deals and products available. Potential buyers may therefore struggle to get a mortgage or end up paying higher interest rates for the privilege.

Making the conversion of currently unused buildings easier is a win-win. It creates more housing for people and regenerates property that otherwise would sit vacant, and boarded-up shops are never going to be a good thing for an area. On the other side of this though, there is a limit, no one wants to see all urban centres just become a glut of new housing with no shops, bars, cafes, or similar, which opens up a different debate about the way the current Business Rates system works and how that needs a massive overhaul to encourage more small businesses to open up in these areas.

Making it easier for developers to convert empty retail premises and betting shops into housing is a welcome development. The high street has changed irrevocably over the past decade and there are only so many coffee shops and estate agents a town can bear. Allowing more mixed-use development could help fill the gap when outlets stand empty. That said, it's only part of the solution. Despite the NIMBY's best efforts, we need more house building on both green and brown belt. The biggest obstacle is the ridiculous planning restrictions we have in this country. The lady in Edinburgh who had to repaint her front door about three times before it was deemed acceptable being a shining example.

This is a simple change in regulation that will be a welcome boost to the economy. In time, additional housing supply should keep house prices and rents at a reasonable level, while developers add more projects and jobs. However, we've heard it all before with Boris and, ultimately, it doesn't get past the NIMBY crowd.

Any sort of policy that makes planning rules easier to apply and follow is a positive. However, in reality the ability to convert shops, take aways and offices into homes isn’t new and whilst useful, it is akin to filling a swimming pool with a saucepan. £24million allocated to train and resource the planning departments is great on paper but ultimately the planners aren’t in control of all but the very simplest of planning applications. Planning committees made up (on the whole) of local councillors with limited or no understanding of housing, development and construction are judge, jury and executioner. To have real progress and to create a planning system that works we have to change the members to a split of independent professionals and councillors or have a minimum intense training period. I’ve personally been involved in and watched committee members barely listen to an application before voting purely and tribally in line with party politics.

Everyone should have the chance to live in a home that they can call their own, whether that's through 100% ownership, part ownership or even rental. Converting empty city centre office space is a great idea in theory, but we must ensure these properties are affordable. This could be achieved through partial funding by local authorities, providing more social or subsidised housing to help those who can’t afford to buy a home. This would not only give housebuilders a boost and provide local authorities with an income from rental and a return on their investment, but we could potentially see greater footfall into city centres which will help retailers, so the benefits could be widespread. But first things first, the government needs to bring inflation under control otherwise we will continue to have a situation whereby people struggle to afford a mortgage and so won't be able to buy these converted properties, even if they wanted and desperately needed to.