CIH provide evidence for the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill Committee

In June Gavin Smart, chief executive gave oral evidence at the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (LURB) committee. We also submitted written evidence which is available to view on the public bill committee's website.

The written evidence shows CIH’s support for the government’s strategy to address the huge disparities in the economies of our towns and cities across the country through levelling up and welcomes that housing and planning are given such central roles in the emerging legislation. However, we emphasise the importance of ensuring the changes to the planning system proposed in this Bill protect the delivery of much-needed affordable housing. With the country facing a worsening affordable housing crisis, long-term, sustained investment in social housing is essential and there is, therefore, a compelling case for putting an ambitious programme of new affordable housebuilding at the heart of levelling up. Whilst we share the government’s aspiration for greater planning certainty and a simpler system, we stress in our evidence that councils need to have the resources required acknowledging that many delays in plan preparation and in facilitating development are due to the lack of resources, rather than the system itself.

Click here to watch a recording or the oral evidence session