2026 - Make or break for housebuilders?

A few years ago I approached the communications director for one of the UK's biggest homelessness charities. I had a big scheme going to Planning Committee in one of the least affordable areas of the UK outside of London. The application would have given 40% affordable to an area with a massive problem with rough sleepers. Surely this charity, which spends millions putting billboards up at Westminster Tube Station in a vainglorious attempt to sway the views of MPs and their office staff as they go to work, would help out? All I asked was that they would perhaps write to planning councillors, or even the Leader, to emphasise the importance of these new affordable homes.

Their answer? Sorry, not interested. 

I was reminded about this last week when I sat in on a Planning Committee in Essex. My client's site was not up, but there was a 2,000 homes scheme on Grey Belt near us and I was keen to listen in (yeh, yeh I know - surely I had better things to do so close to Christmas?). The predictable throng of middle-late middle aged locals crammed the public gallery hissing at every positive officer reference and cheering the local parish council for their objection speech. The officers were okay, but you knew the application was in trouble (despite the 1 year housing land supply and lack of a Local Plan) when the chief legal officer spent more time talking than many of the councillors.

The experienced committee members recognised the problem. 750 families in the borough had no permanent roof over their heads. It is Christmas, and their constituents had the most uncertain of futures. So they pushed back against the objectors, and pressed the case for development. But they were in the minority.

Sadly their efforts were defeated by a pretty spineless chairman who got so intimidated by the 30 or so pitchfork-wielding (metaphorically) locals that he pushed for a deferment. On a split vote, this was carried. Months will now roll by without and shovels in the ground.

Oh how different this could have been if the other committee members could have been implored to grant consent by an expert making the moral, policy and (let's face it) decent case for new homes? That charity director could have achieved more in one night in Essex than she would in 10 years of paying TFL millions for advertising in their stations.

I mention this because I really believe 2026 is going to be a make or break year for housebuilding. The government has, in a slightly panicky way, set the bar so low to encourage new applications. But community opposition to supposedly inappropriate development will have the crowds out regularly at planning committees. 

Let's face it, we are in a real battle, and the only winner will likely be the Planning silks. I don't know about you, but I would much rather their £500k fees go on successfully consented local s106 rather than their yacht funds. But to get these local consents the whole industry needs to come together. 

CalComms works with SME as well as some of the larger housebuilders. We passionately want 2026 to be the year where 1.5million becomes less of a pipe dream. Whether you are a homelessness charity simply interested in virtue signalling, or you are a YIMBY group set up to provide a springboard to a parliamentary career we need to be all singing from the same hymn sheet. New developments bring opportunity, economic growth and security for those who currently have none.

Let's get our collective act together and make 2026 the year of the trowel, brick and roof slate.

Happy Christmas to everyone!

By Antony Calvert, Managing Director

antony@calcomms.co.uk