Updated guidelines for the building of new homes in the UK

They have done so via the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 to “incentivise the prompt build-out of housing sites”.

What’s included in their latest set of guidelines, and are there any other fresh measures put in place for the construction industry to follow?

Read ABC+ Warranty’s full guide to understand the new set of changes from the UK government.

What are the aims of the new guidance?

The UK government wants homes to be built faster and to much higher standards, with expectations on house builders to submit proposals for high-quality developments. They must meet local housing needs and preferences and build them out as quickly as possible once planning permission has been granted.

Several measures have been introduced via the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 to incentivise the speedy building of housing sites and to support local councils in acting against those who fail to meet the commitments.

The new measures are:

• Housing developers must now – using development commencement notices – notify local planning authorities when they begin development and then report annually on their delivery, via development progress reports. These new measures will help local planning authorities decide which sites are falling short of their targets and allow them to decide whether to sanction a developer for failure to build out quickly enough.
• Existing powers for local planning authorities are being modernised and streamlined to allow them to serve completion notices. This allows for the removal of planning permission for any unfinished parts of development after a period specified in the notice lapses.
• A new power has been granted to local planning authorities. It enables them to refuse to consider applications from developers who fail to build at a reasonable pace after receiving prior permissions within the authority’s area.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities also revealed that further publication will be released after a separate consultation on financial penalties takes place. The consultation will seek opinion on financial penalties that incentivise developers to build out homes much quicker in the future.

What new powers do councils have?

As previously mentioned, local authorities now have more powers and control over certain aspects of construction practices in their area.

Here’s a breakdown of the new powers they now possess thanks to the updated guidance in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023:

By increasing enforcement limits from four to 10 years, councils have more time to stop developments that don’t have planning permission.
With the ability to give unlimited fines, councils can now deal with those who fail to comply with planning permission or refuse to deal with rundown properties.
The Act gives more power to the Planning Inspectorate to allow them to dismiss appeals against developers trying to delay the process. This also includes refusing site visits and access.
Councils can now suspend all works if there are suspicions that construction has gone ahead with no permission. They can do this by doubling the length of temporary stop notices to 56 days.

ABC+ Warranty – at the forefront of the construction sector

At ABC+ Warranty, we’re always at the front and centre of the latest innovations and updates in the construction industry. In our news section, we strive to keep you up-to-date with the latest news, statistics and updates relevant to the construction sector.

As well as being extremely knowledgeable about the construction industry, we offer a range of structural warranties for all types of buildings.

We can also supply a Professional Consultants Certificate (PCC) and can help with a lot more in regards to the construction sector.

Find out how we can help you by contacting us today. Either call 0161 928 8804 or send an email to info@architectscertificate.co.uk.

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