The Last Autumn Statement.... but no Housing White Paper

Philip Hammond has just delivered the Autumn Statement and wiser heads than mine will be analysing its contents as I type.

Although the Statement did contain some measures intended to boost housing supply (which are summarised below) it was somewhat 'Planning-Lite' in comparison to recent years.

The substance of the Government's housing and planning policies will be in the Housing White Paper, which, contrary to earlier indications, does not look as if it will appear today. 

The Statement itself suggests that the White Paper will be published "shortly". DCLG, when I called them earlier today, indicated it will be "later this year". 

Given that it is now the end of November, I have decided to put the White Paper on my Christmas list and see what happens...

The government will publish a Housing White Paper shortly, setting out a comprehensive package of reform to increase housing supply and halt the decline in housing affordability. To help deliver this, the Autumn Statement announces:

Housing Infrastructure Fund – a new Housing Infrastructure Fund of £2.3 billion by 2020-21, funded by the NPIF and allocated to local government on a competitive basis, will provide infrastructure targeted at unlocking new private house building in the areas where housing need is greatest.

Affordable homes – the government will relax restrictions on grant funding.... The NPIF will provide an additional £1.4 billion to deliver an additional 40,000 housing starts by 2020-21

Accelerated construction – ... the government will invest £1.7 billion by 2020-21 through the NPIF to speed up house building on public sector land in England through partnerships with private sector developers. ”