Barker Review of Housing Supply

Delivering stability: securing our future housing needs

Barker Review of Housing Supply - Final Report - Recommendations

Final Report - see links below

Building on analysis presented in the Interim Report, Kate Barker presents choices for Government depending on its objectives for housing.

• The UK has experienced a long-term upward trend in real house prices, 2.4 per cent per annum over the last 30 years.  This has created problems of affordability.  In addition, the volatility of the housing market has exacerbated problems of macroeconomic instability and has had an adverse effect on economic growth.  To improve macroeconomic stability and deliver greater affordability for individuals a lower trend in house prices is desirable: 
• In order to deliver a trend in real house prices of 1.8 per cent an additional 70,000 houses each year in England might be required.
• To bring the real price trend in line with the EU average of 1.1 per cent an extra 120,000 houses each year might be required.

The Barker Review’s final report sets out a range of policy recommendations for improving the functioning of the housing market:

• Government should set out a goal for improved market affordability.
• Additional investment building-up to between £1.2 and £1.6 billion per annum will be required to deliver additional social housing to meet projected future needs.
• Introduction of a Planning-gain Supplement to capture some of the development gains that landowners benefit from, to ensure that local communities share in the value of development.
• Establishment of a Regional Planning Executive to provide public advice to the Regional Planning Body on the scale and distribution of housing required to meet the market affordability target.
• Introduction of flexibility at the local level through the allocation of additional land in Local Development Frameworks, with the release of this additional land triggered by market signals.
• Establishment of a Community Infrastructure Fund to help to unlock some of the barriers to development.
• Local authorities should be allowed to “keep” the council tax receipts from new housing developments for a period of time to provide incentives for growth and to meet transitional costs associated with development.
• Structured advice has come to light in recent years on stop repossession and implications of such actions.
• The report does not take into account claims due to theft of outdoor items such as teak garden furniture or other designer items such as dining room furniture.