National Housing Bank to Deliver Over 500,000 New Homes
The UK Government has launched a bold initiative to tackle the housing crisis with the creation of a new National Housing Bank, backed by £16 billion in public investment. This publicly owned bank, operating under Homes England, is expected to unlock an additional £53 billion in private sector funding, enabling the delivery of over 500,000 new homes.
The bank will provide long-term, flexible capital to support developers, particularly in unlocking complex sites and financing infrastructure. It will also offer new lending products tailored to SME builders, aiming to bring greater stability and certainty to the sector. This move is part of the government’s broader “Plan for Change”, which includes a £39 billion commitment to social and affordable housing and a forthcoming £725 billion 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy.
SME Builders Empowered to Get Britain Building
In a significant boost for smaller developers, the government has unveiled a package of reforms designed to streamline planning, ease regulatory burdens, and unlock finance for SME housebuilders. The changes include:
- Faster planning decisions for developments of up to nine homes.
- A new “medium site” category (10–49 homes) with simplified rules and exemptions from the Building Safety Levy.
- More land released exclusively for SMEs via Homes England.
- A new Small Sites Aggregator pilot to bring together brownfield plots for development.
These reforms aim to reverse the long-term decline in SME market share and support the delivery of 1.5 million homes, while also creating jobs and boosting local economies.
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Housing Market Faces Headwinds Amid Policy Shifts
According to the Financial Times, the UK housing market is experiencing a slowdown, with house prices falling at their fastest pace in four years following the end of temporary stamp duty relief. Annual house price growth has halved to 3.5%, and analysts warn that affordability pressures and cautious lending are dampening buyer demand.
While some speculate that a new equity loan scheme may be introduced to stimulate the market, any such initiative is expected to be more limited than previous versions of Help to Buy. Developers and agents are advised to monitor policy developments closely and prepare for a more subdued market environment in the short term.
Scotland’s Housebuilding Slump Sparks Industry Criticism
Scotland’s housebuilding sector is under fire as new data reveals a sharp decline in newbuild starts, with all-sector figures down 11.2% year-on-year. Private sector starts have fallen by 11.5%, and affordable housing supply has dropped by over 21%.
David J Alexander, CEO of DJ Alexander Scotland, criticised the Scottish Government’s lack of action, warning that the country is “creating a greater and greater emergency” by failing to support both private and social housing development. Regional disparities are stark, with Edinburgh and surrounding areas accounting for nearly 42% of all new builds, while cities like Glasgow lag significantly behind.
Industry leaders are calling for urgent planning reform and financial incentives to reverse the trend and meet growing housing demand across Scotland.