RICS: Housing Green Paper

Commenting on the Housing Green Paper, Jill Craig, RICS head of public policy said: “The Government is right to attempt to push house building to sufficient levels. It is time to make good on its promises to promote an inclusive society where the poorest are not priced out of the housing market.

“However, housebuilding targets will prove futile without changes to the planning system which address not only the release of land, but a whole new integrated infrastructure within the planned “growth areas” in order to support sustainable communities. As well as the schools, hospitals and transport systems that all settlements require, any decision to base many new homes on flood plains will necessitate large spending on flood defences.

"At a time when the UK is likely to experience the impact of climate change, the Government's decision last year to cut expenditure on flood defences seems to be incredibly short sighted. If the Government is determined to build more houses, it would be prudent to ensure that there is sufficient funding available to prevent any loss to life and property."

On affordable housing:

"RICS welcomes the decision to build more affordable shared equity and shared ownership homes. The decline in government sponsored housing over the last twenty years is a hugely significant factor in the affordability crisis for those most in need. In 1980, 94,000 houses of this nature were built in England compared to 21,000 last year. It is astonishing that the Government hasn’t moved before to tackle this crisis.”