HBF discusses viability and affordability at UKREiiF

Some proposals in the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) are concerning in the current challenging environment, according to Jennie Daly, chief executive of Taylor Wimpey.

Speaking at the Home Builders Federation’s conference session at UKREiiF in Leeds, Daly said she was pleased with the government’s first revisions of the NPPF in 2024, including the reintroduction of five-year housing land supply. “The [introduction of] of greybelt was like a hallelujah moment.”

But Daly added that she was “more concerned about things in the recent [NPPF] consultation”, which closed in March. “I wouldn’t be so concerned if the environment wasn’t challenging. Viability is a genuine challenge.”

She saw” ideological strains” in the updated NPPF, including the proposal to make social rented homes mandatory as part of a mixed-tenure approach to housing. “We need these but in a world where viability is fragile, it’s likely we’ll get less.”

Daly said she was seeing well-planned developments where people wished to live, “but you can’t get the numbers to stack up”.

And after the Labour government’s strong start in 2024 with planning, Daly commented that she felt “frustrated” with the current “uncertainty and concern”. The economy had not …