The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has published a new White Paper setting out its vision for housing growth, together with the practical steps that government must take to support delivery. This includes continued support for housing diversification, including community-led housing that includes self build.
The TCPA White Paper, Our Shared Future sets out practical steps to support unlocking delivery, as the TCPA recognises that housing security is the foundation for better life opportunities. As well as examining delivery at all scales, the TCPA sees the role of new settlements as transformational in securing change.
It criticises successive government’s continued failed planning reforms with their fixation on housing units over the principles of affordability, quality and delivery. The White Paper calls on government to rise up to the challenge of securing real change by implementing the solutions put forward in the document.
A core ask of the TCPA White Paper is for a new national strategic plan for homes, focused on new settlements that embrace the Garden City Principles. This includes 10 steps to secure this new generation of new towns:
Step 1: A national vision for new communities
Step 2: A national spatial plan for growth and renewal
Step 3: A built environment work force and supply chain plan
Step 4: Deciding the scale, number and location of new settlements
Step 5: Modernising delivery bodies
Step 6: Supporting local government
Step 7: The designation process
Step 8: Financing the new settlements
Step 9: Defining the operations of the Development Corporation
Step 10: Embedding legacy and stewardship
The TCPA also sets out that the Step 1 National Vision must also include
“A commitment to the diversification of the supply of homes and particularly to a variety of
community-led housing initiatives including cooperative housing, Community Land Trusts and
self-build. At least 30% of the total housing delivery should be from these innovative sources.”
