Thriving communities, affordable homes

Homes & Communities Agency and Planning Trevor Beattie Director Strategy Policy Performance Research National Planning Forum 16 th March

Thriving communities, affordable homes Our Vision To create opportunity:  For people to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live  For local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas A national agency that works locally

Thriving communities, affordable homes Our Tasks  Support the delivery of new homes  Secure the delivery of affordable homes  Accelerate regeneration of under-performing towns and cities  Improve the quality of existing stock and transform deprived neighbourhoods  Ensure delivery is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable with good design Homes and Communities

Thriving communities, affordable homes HCA Funding – Significant Investment National Affordable Housing Programme £8.4bn Decent Homes £2.6bn Gypsies and Travellers £0.1bn Growth funding £1.1bn Thames Gateway £0.4bn Property and Regeneration £1.7bn

Thriving communities, affordable homes The New World  New organisation with increased flexibility  New challenges – both short and long term  New partnerships  New approaches: –New business process (the single conversation) –New business products (the HCA toolkit)  New relationship with Government – the voice of delivery

Thriving communities, affordable homes How the Single Conversation looks

Thriving communities, affordable homes Housing market downturn: Direct impact on the economy  Construction sector: approx 6% GDP  New build housing: approx 1% of GDP in 2007  Housing starts fell by 37% last year  Housing completions fell by 19% last year Construction  40% increase in insolvencies during 2008 (almost 8 firms per day by Q4)  52% of Federation of Master Builder members reported job cuts in Q42008 and over half expect cuts next year  … but small increase in construction purchasing activity in January

Thriving communities, affordable homes Stalled projects  Impact on town and city centres  Impact on communities Does our old model for regeneration still work?  Falling demand across housing, retail, office  Significant upfront costs New models?  Public sector infrastructure  Multiple developers The downturn: Impact on regeneration

Thriving communities, affordable homes Responding to the Market Downturn: Not losing sight of the our priorities  The downturn hits places at very different stages in their regeneration journey  It is essential to hold on to the long term vision  Realism and adaptability in the short term is essential, but the commitment to quality must not be lost  Where development cannot be progressed, there is good preparatory work to be done  The HCA will provide active support and constructive challenge

Thriving communities, affordable homes Responding to the Market Downturn: What has Already Been Agreed  £1.2bn brought forward to invest in housing and regeneration  Introduction of Clearing House Scheme  Homebuy Direct  Mortgage rescue  Work with RDAs on priority regeneration projects  Tailored programmes for individual housing associations

Thriving communities, affordable homes Responding to the Market Downturn: What the Agency is exploring  The potential for local authorities to come forward with their own development packages  The funding of infrastructure and upfront costs on an equity basis  Changing the mix of tenures  The case for land purchase  The potential to access new sources of finance

Thriving communities, affordable homes The Role of Spatial Planning  A central element of single conversation  Refocus from programme to comprehensive place making  Developing shared visions at all spatial levels  Informing, supporting and influencing local strategies and delivery  Enabling all to deliver their ambitions

Thriving communities, affordable homes Quality Places  Building on a strong inheritance  Good design and sustainable development are indivisible  High core standards and monitoring across all HCA activities  Address the ongoing management of projects  Promote market improvements and exemplar initiatives  Encourage innovation and efficiency  Build capacity both internally and externally  Work in partnership with other national, regional and local agencies  Embedded in to new delivery tools

Thriving communities, affordable homes ATLAS  Advisory Team for Large Applications  Funded by CLG  Hosted and delivered by HCA  Free service provided to Local Authorities, …. but for the benefit of all project partners  Impartial & independent Mission Statement “To secure the timely delivery of high quality sustainable development through effective planning processes, collaborative working and the promotion of good practice”

Thriving communities, affordable homes ATLAS Key Objectives  Help unblock the issues holding up major applications  Improve quality of outcomes;  Act as a partner to local authorities and independent reviewer of major applications and issues  Increase the knowledge and expertise within local authorities; and  Disseminate best practice

Thriving communities, affordable homes Spatial Planning Locally Distinctive Quality Places Infrastructure Sustainable Communities

Thriving communities, affordable homes Development Management  Proactive not reactive  End to End Process  Enabling Delivery  Collaborative Approach  Focus on Quality Outcomes ie A Great Place

Thriving communities, affordable homes Conclusion  HCA is a new agency, with new approaches and new methods of working  First objective is to deliver existing commitments  Increasingly will offer increased flexibility  The single conversation will be our most important business process  The key goal is to make a difference on the ground  We are responding to the downturn  We are preparing for the new world

Thriving communities, affordable homes