This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/jul/12/government-failing-target-sell-public-land-new-homes
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Government failing on target to sell public land for new homes Government failing on target to sell public land for new homes | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| In 2011, the government pledged to sell off enough public land to build up to 100,000 new homes by 2015. Five years later, no one knows how many of those much-needed homes have actually been built, because the government has not kept track. | In 2011, the government pledged to sell off enough public land to build up to 100,000 new homes by 2015. Five years later, no one knows how many of those much-needed homes have actually been built, because the government has not kept track. |
| Last June, a National Audit Office report on the first four years of the programme noted the dearth of information about what happened to public sites after they had been sold, remarking with considerable understatement: “The NAO is unable to report the actual number of homes built to date as the information is not collected.” | Last June, a National Audit Office report on the first four years of the programme noted the dearth of information about what happened to public sites after they had been sold, remarking with considerable understatement: “The NAO is unable to report the actual number of homes built to date as the information is not collected.” |
| Now, one year into the next phase of the sell-off programme, with ambitious new targets to deliver at least £5bn of land and property sales between 2015 and 2020 and release land for up to 160,000 homes, little progress has been made. | Now, one year into the next phase of the sell-off programme, with ambitious new targets to deliver at least £5bn of land and property sales between 2015 and 2020 and release land for up to 160,000 homes, little progress has been made. |
| The latest NAO report [pdf], published on Tuesday, says only 8% of the new target for public land sell-offs has been achieved – and even that is not certain. | The latest NAO report [pdf], published on Tuesday, says only 8% of the new target for public land sell-offs has been achieved – and even that is not certain. |
| By the end of March, 77 public sites, worth £72m, had been sold, enabling 8,580 homes to be built. This accounts for a mere 5% of the target. The government has sold further land where 4,853 more houses could potentially be built, which would push the total up to 8%. But the regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), has not obtained sufficient evidence that the sites will be developed for housing, according to the NAO. | By the end of March, 77 public sites, worth £72m, had been sold, enabling 8,580 homes to be built. This accounts for a mere 5% of the target. The government has sold further land where 4,853 more houses could potentially be built, which would push the total up to 8%. But the regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), has not obtained sufficient evidence that the sites will be developed for housing, according to the NAO. |
| The government watchdog’s report notes that the HCA is working to obtain this evidence. “If these sites are validated, progress to date would represent 8% of the programme,” the NAO says. “The programme, and progress against it, relates to the disposal of land with capacity for housing, not actual homes built. The development of these sites could take many years to complete.” | The government watchdog’s report notes that the HCA is working to obtain this evidence. “If these sites are validated, progress to date would represent 8% of the programme,” the NAO says. “The programme, and progress against it, relates to the disposal of land with capacity for housing, not actual homes built. The development of these sites could take many years to complete.” |
| Meg Hillier, chair of the Commons public accounts committee (PAC), which last year made a number of recommendations to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), which runs the land sale programme, says she is disappointed that so little progress has been made. | Meg Hillier, chair of the Commons public accounts committee (PAC), which last year made a number of recommendations to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), which runs the land sale programme, says she is disappointed that so little progress has been made. |
| She says the department had agreed to publish guidance by spring 2016 on how it would ensure value for money from the sell-off. “They have simply failed to deliver on this and as a result, there is still no way of knowing whether taxpayers are getting a good deal from the sale of their land,” Hillier says in a statement. “Today’s NAO report into the disposal of public land shows that the government’s policy for releasing public land to build new homes is still not performing well enough.” | She says the department had agreed to publish guidance by spring 2016 on how it would ensure value for money from the sell-off. “They have simply failed to deliver on this and as a result, there is still no way of knowing whether taxpayers are getting a good deal from the sale of their land,” Hillier says in a statement. “Today’s NAO report into the disposal of public land shows that the government’s policy for releasing public land to build new homes is still not performing well enough.” |
| The NAO report reveals that more than one year into the five-year programme, the DCLG has not yet finalised how it will monitor the number of homes built, or made details of the scheme public. | The NAO report reveals that more than one year into the five-year programme, the DCLG has not yet finalised how it will monitor the number of homes built, or made details of the scheme public. |
| Analysis submitted by the DCLG to the PAC earlier this year showed that despite the government’s claim that it had sold enough land to build more than 109,000 homes on brownfield sites since 2011, only between 1,800 and 2,500 homes had been built. | Analysis submitted by the DCLG to the PAC earlier this year showed that despite the government’s claim that it had sold enough land to build more than 109,000 homes on brownfield sites since 2011, only between 1,800 and 2,500 homes had been built. |
| Sign up for your free Guardian Housing network newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you every Friday. Follow us: @GuardianHousing. | Sign up for your free Guardian Housing network newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you every Friday. Follow us: @GuardianHousing. |