Constant comings and goings leads to more uncertainty, Nick Walkley adds
UK planning policy needs a 鈥減eriod of stability鈥�, according to the former chief executive of Homes England.
Nick Walkley ran the government鈥檚 housing agency between 2017 and 2021, leaving his position amid rumours of a disagreement with then-housing minister Robert Jenrick.
Speaking to 黑洞社区 at last week鈥檚 Mipim conference in Cannes, Walkley said the 鈥減olitical instability鈥� around planning and the housing minister role was 鈥渘ot a good recipe for delivering a stable policy environment鈥� and made it more difficult for housebuilders.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e thinking about a permission for something that will guide development for 25 years, it鈥檚 very difficult to invest in something like that if the rules change on an almost annual basis [or] if there鈥檚 another attempt at a planning framework,鈥� he said.
Walkley, who was attending the conference on behalf of Avison Young, the real estate consultancy he now works for as president of its strategic advisory team in the UK, said the last year had seen 鈥渆nough housing ministers and secretaries of state to put out a football team鈥� and said constant tinkering with policy created 鈥渕assive uncertainty鈥�.
鈥淚鈥檓 much more in favour of having a period of a period of stability that allows decisions to work through, rules and responsibilities to be properly identified,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it is much more far more fundamental than another go at mixing the rules around.鈥�
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