Latest news with #HBF
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Council ‘staffing crisis' threatens Rayner's housing target, builders warn
Council staff shortages are causing 'serious' delays and putting Angela Rayner's housebuilding target in jeopardy, builders have warned. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) said a 'staffing crisis' at local authorities had led to mounting delays that are holding up projects across the country. As part of the housebuilding process, developers and local authorities must negotiate agreements on funding for public infrastructure such as schools, roads or affordable homes. However, the time it takes to strike these deals has surged and agreements are now taking well over a year on average to finalise, according to the HBF. Builders have been waiting for an average of 515 days – nearly a year and a half – for these so-called Section 106 agreements to be finalised. That waiting time has increased by a fifth over the past two years. Researchers found 35pc of all Section 106 agreements took longer than a year to complete. In one case, a developer was left waiting for seven years. The Housing Secretary has pledged to build 1.5m homes by the end of the current parliament, although she has conceded in recent weeks that this was a 'stretching' target. The Government has proposed recruiting 300 extra planning officers to tackle the issue. However, the HBF said that this would be nowhere near enough extra staff to address backlogs and delays. The organisation has identified a national shortage of 2,200 planning officers across England and Wales. Neil Jefferson, the chief executive of the HBF, said ministers had taken 'welcomed steps' to address planning delays, but needed to take 'meaningful action' by increasing funding for councils. He said: 'Meeting the Government's ambitious housing targets will require ministers to remove the barriers that are currently causing housing supply to flatline. 'The Government needs to ensure that local authorities have the capacity to process planning applications within a reasonable timeframe such that construction can get under way. 'If ministers can speed up the planning process, alongside providing mortgage support for first-time home buyers, and funding for housing associations to purchase affordable homes, house builders can start to actually increase supply.' The HBF warned that delays were particularly costly for smaller developers that lack the financial reserves to absorb rising costs. It came as affordable housebuilder MJ Gleeson issued a profit warning citing planning delays, rising costs and a weak housing market. Its stocks plummeted by more than 20pc on Tuesday. Delays stem from its business in the North, where developments have been largely held up by biodiversity rules rather than infrastructure agreements. However, the situation underlines the planning hurdles that housebuilders face. Council planning offices are under-staffed as local authorities come under intense financial pressure. Research by the Local Government Association (LGA) in March found that councils face a funding shortfall of more than £8bn by 2028-29 without enough additional income. A quarter of councils in England have warned that they will need emergency bailouts from the Government. An LGA spokesman said: 'There is a significant ongoing and historic challenge with resourcing planning teams and retaining staff with necessary specific skills across the country, with nearly two thirds of councils relying on agency staff to address capacity and skills gaps. 'Planning is a vital part of ensuring safe, well designed and appropriate house building takes place, and despite the challenges faced by local planning departments, nine in 10 planning applications are approved. 'Councils want to work with the Government to better help recruit and retain the planners and built environment professionals required to support an efficient locally-led planning system in order to build the homes we need.' The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Council ‘staffing crisis' threatens Rayner's housing target , builders warn
Council staff shortages are causing 'serious' delays and putting Angela Rayner's housebuilding target in jeopardy, builders have warned. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) said a 'staffing crisis' at local authorities had led to mounting delays that are holding up projects across the country. As part of the housebuilding process, developers and local authorities must negotiate agreements on funding for public infrastructure such as schools, roads or affordable homes. However, the time it takes to strike these deals has surged and agreements are now taking well over a year on average to finalise, according to the HBF. Builders have been waiting for an average of 515 days – nearly a year and a half – for these so-called Section 106 agreements to be finalised. That waiting time has increased by a fifth over the past two years. Researchers found 35pc of all Section 106 agreements took longer than a year to complete. In one case, a developer was left waiting for seven years. The Housing Secretary has pledged to build 1.5m homes by the end of the current parliament, although she has conceded in recent weeks that this was a 'stretching' target. The Government has proposed recruiting 300 extra planning officers to tackle the issue. However, the HBF said that this would be nowhere near enough extra staff to address backlogs and delays. The organisation has identified a national shortage of 2,200 planning officers across England and Wales. Neil Jefferson, the chief executive of the HBF, said ministers had taken 'welcomed steps' to address planning delays, but needed to take 'meaningful action' by increasing funding for councils. He said: 'Meeting the Government's ambitious housing targets will require ministers to remove the barriers that are currently causing housing supply to flatline. 'The Government needs to ensure that local authorities have the capacity to process planning applications within a reasonable timeframe such that construction can get under way. 'If ministers can speed up the planning process, alongside providing mortgage support for first-time home buyers, and funding for housing associations to purchase affordable homes, house builders can start to actually increase supply.' Council planning offices are under-staffed as local authorities come under intense financial pressure. Research by the Local Government Association (LGA) in March found that councils face a funding shortfall of more than £8bn by 2028-29 without enough additional income. A quarter of councils in England have warned that they will need emergency bailouts from the Government. An LGA spokesman said: 'There is a significant ongoing and historic challenge with resourcing planning teams and retaining staff with necessary specific skills across the country, with nearly two thirds of councils relying on agency staff to address capacity and skills gaps. 'Planning is a vital part of ensuring safe, well designed and appropriate house building takes place, and despite the challenges faced by local planning departments, nine in 10 planning applications are approved. 'Councils want to work with the Government to better help recruit and retain the planners and built environment professionals required to support an efficient locally-led planning system in order to build the homes we need.' The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been contacted for comment. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Park upgrade paid for with stashed cash
Thousands of pounds stashed in Dudley Council's coffers for years is to be spent on upgrades at a borough park. Work at King George V Park, Wordsley, will go ahead using £24,800 from property developers who agreed to pay for improvements in areas where they build homes. Dudley is to splash cash in the Lawnswood Road green space from agreements linked to applications approved as far back as May 2004. The deals, called planning obligations, are enforced under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act. Councillor Damian Corfield, Dudley cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: 'Section 106 contributions are often multi-faceted with large sums allocated to many different projects. In this case we have held on to and combined several smaller elements of these S106 payments together to generate a significant total amount. 'That amount is now being used to fund this hugely beneficial project for the community in Wordsley, and an example of very smart use of section 106 money.' The park will get upgrades including resurfacing of the multi-use games area, the reinstatement of the bowling green and a revamp of the children's play area. The cash will come from four developments which were approved between 2004 and 2011. Latest figures published by Dudley Council show at the end of March 2024 a total of £2.8m of unspent S106 money was sitting in the authority's bank. In the financial year which ended on the same date the council's income from S106 payments was £61,580. In the same financial year the council spent £1.05m of S106 cash, mostly on education facilities while a further £956,810 had been allocated but not spent. Hoarding S106 funding is common practice for local authorities despite most agreements having a time limit which means the money has to be spent within a specific period or paid back to the developer. According to a report published by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) in autumn 2024, a total of around £6bn of unspent S106 cash was held by councils in England and Wales – with the average council holding £19m. The HBF is calling for greater transparency in local government about why spending is delayed and how long councils are holding on to cash for. Neil Jefferson, CEO at HBF, said: 'Each year developers contribute around £7 billion to local authorities for the provision of local infrastructure, affordable housing and education, recreational and health facilities but some councils are increasingly failing to invest this cash into the services that so desperately need it. 'Investment in new housing delivery brings unrivalled economic and social benefits to communities but too many of these advantages are going unseen by local people. With the government desperate to find money to invest in infrastructure to drive growth, it is nonsensical to have billions sat in council bank accounts. 'Furthermore, a lack of infrastructure provision is often cited as a reason to oppose development, yet this pipeline of billions of pounds of unspent infrastructure funding is too often underappreciated in debates about the impact of new development.'
News.com.au
7 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
The HBF Injury Report for SuperCoach AFL Round 12!
Every SuperCoach knows that managing injuries is key to success. This is the Injury Report, proudly brought to you by HBF – your health dream team.
The Age
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Record numbers hit Perth streets for charity run as Adam Selwood honoured
More than 40,000 Perth residents took part in the largest HBF Run For A Reason to date on Sunday, raising more than $1.9 million and paying tribute to former West Coast Eagle Adam Selwood, who died earlier this month. Before his death, Selwood had registered to take part in this year's half-marathon to honour his twin brother and former Brisbane Lion Troy, who tragically also died in February this year, and raise money for mental health. HBF chief executive Dr Lachlan Henderson thanked the work of Perth's charities and said the 2025 event had special but tragic significance given the recent news that has rocked the Selwood family and AFL community. 'This year's event carried special significance following the recent passing of former West Coast Eagle Adam Selwood, who had registered to run the half-marathon in honour of his twin brother, Troy, who passed away in February,' he said. 'The tragic loss of Adam and Troy reminds us of the humanity behind every bib number – each participant is driven by a reason, a memory or a cause that matters deeply to them.' Loading Adam Selwood's fundraising target for mental health charity zero2hero, which started at $10,000, has now reached more than $76,000 and counting. Several former West Coast players were believed to have taken part in the half-marathon event to honour the late Eagle and his fundraising efforts. Participants ran, walked or wheeled across one of three sold-out distances: the Brooks Half Marathon, the Specsavers 12-kilometre or the CommBank three-kilometre courses.
