Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook used his UKREiiF address to defend the government’s record on housing and planning, set out the next stages of reform, and call for greater collaboration between government and the construction sector.

Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook was on bullish form at UKREiiF, rebutting accusations that the current government lacks clarity of vision and direction and informing the audience of property professionals that: “When it comes to housing and planning, nothing could be further from the truth.”

After a punchy recap of the Labour government’s achievements in planning and development – the revised National Planning Policy Framework and the Planning and Infrastructure Act, the New Towns programme, the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, the New Homes Accelerator, the National Housing Bank and reform of the Building Safety Regulator – he reached the bold conclusion that “no government in living memory has done more to tackle the country’s housing and infrastructure deficit than the one I am proud to be a member of.”

He went on to set out a broad-brush timetable for items still on the government’s to-do list. “We have to publish a final, revised NPPF, and we will do so this summer,” he said. “We have to bring into force our new National Scheme of Delegation, and we will lay the required regulations in the coming weeks.”

He added: “We have to consult on the first of our Environmental Delivery Plans concerning nutrient pollution and we will do so in the coming months. We must reform the role of statutory consultees in the planning system, and we will announce the outcome of our consultation on this matter before the summer recess.”

Reassuring the assembled crowd that “the focus of my Department has now turned very firmly towards ensuring the new system delivers”, Pennycook promised a renewed emphasis on removing “grit” from the planning process to ensure that the application journey is as fast and easy as possible.

He also announced that his department is working with 23 ambitious local authorities to co-develop a pattern book of standard house designs, which it intends to publish by the end of the year. Pennycook predicted that “these designs will help unlock economies of scale to support investment in MMC, remove barriers for SME developers, and help local authorities deliver homes on small sites they own.”

He concluded with a plea for collaboration and cooperation between the construction sector and the government, and a rallying cry that, when it comes to urban development and regeneration, we have it in our power to lead the world.