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“Millions are being forced to pay eye-watering sums just to have somewhere to live, especially in London. In the capital it now takes a couple on an average income around 13 years to save for a deposit, not by accident, but because successive governments have failed to build enough homes. That failure prices people out of our most productive cities, limits access to the best jobs, and holds back growth.

“The only real fix is to reform our outdated planning system so we can build quickly. The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill was meant to do that, including delivering the homes Britain urgently needs. But recent amendments have weakened key provisions, diluting its growth ambitions. Land around railway stations is hugely underused, so the news that housing plans near stations will receive a default “yes” is a no-brainer, but these homes must be built at sufficient densities. 

“It was always going to be hard for the Government to hit its target for 1.5 million homes, and it looks like they won’t deliver on this ambition, leaving Britain without the housing it needs to drive the economy.”