Places for People responds to the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review

Responding to the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review, PfP Group CEO Greg Reed said: 

“Government has made real progress on housebuilding and planning reform over the past year and today marks a major moment in our sector’s recent history. Our Time To Build campaign made the national case for new housing last summer and the bold new packages announced by Government will be truly transformative for Customers and Communities. 

“A decade-long rent settlement brings much-needed certainty for our sector, enabling confident and sustainable financial planning amongst providers. This rent deal will encourage long-term private investment into our sector but must offer stability beyond political cycles to maximise impact. We also welcome the social rent convergence consultation announced today and believe that even more can be done to further strengthen the sector’s financial capacity and unlock its potential. 
  
“Combined with an expanded new Affordable Homes Programme, financial certainty will stimulate the required momentum on housebuilding and enable providers like PfP to play a huge part in helping Government meet its 1.5m new homes target. As a trusted partner of Homes England, last year we delivered over 2,000 affordable homes and we are committed to accelerating and boosting our delivery. 
    
“A big piece of the puzzle will be sustained investment in skills with 140,000 industry vacancies currently halting vital progress. Through PfP Thrive, our training academy, we’re leading this charge by training apprentices and upskilling workers with over 20 partners. We're keen to hear more on how the new £1.2bn investment into skills will be used for training and apprenticeships. 
 
“With 100 Places Leisure centres nationwide, we integrate housing, health and wellbeing like nobody else – in turn recognising the clear links between ill-health and economic inactivity. We look forward to seeing a commitment in the NHS long-term plan to working with partners like PfP to support healthy and thriving Communities through prevention. 
 
“Today marks clear progress and we will keep talking to Government and Ministers, while also exploring complementary solutions to financing our sector’s clear ambition of delivering lasting change for Customers and Communities. 
 
“We are realistic about the challenge but are optimistic that Government clearly recognises our sector’s vital role. It’s now time to turn these words and promises into action and change.”