Mish Liyanage – Property Expert

For decades, politicians have promised to “fix” Britain’s housing shortage. Targets are set, slogans are launched, yet the crisis deepens year after year. Last year’s small uptick in housing starts — just a 5% rise — is nowhere near what’s needed to keep pace with demand.

The uncomfortable truth is that Britain’s housebuilding problem isn’t just about bricks and mortar. It’s about broken systems, misaligned incentives, and a lack of bold, joined-up thinking.

So, what really needs to change?

Planning Is Choking Supply

Local planning systems are overwhelmed, inconsistent, and painfully slow. Developers, both large and small, find themselves caught in years of red tape. Until we simplify and digitise planning, Britain will never build fast enough.

Public Land Is Sitting Idle

The government owns vast amounts of land, much of it underused. Instead of drip-feeding it piecemeal, why not release it strategically, tied to infrastructure investment and affordability targets? Homes could be delivered faster, in the right places, and at the right price points.

Small Builders Have Been Squeezed Out

The big developers dominate, but their model often prioritises margins over momentum. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized builders — once the lifeblood of British housebuilding — have been squeezed out by lack of finance and regulation that doesn’t scale to their size. If we want agility and innovation, we must bring SMEs back into the game.

Homes Without Infrastructure Are Not Communities

Even when houses are built, they often arrive before the roads, schools, GP surgeries, and transport links that make them livable. A national fund dedicated to infrastructure — delivered in step with housing — could change that.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Finally, central government still tries to dictate solutions from Westminster. But housing need in Manchester doesn’t look like housing need in Devon. Local authorities, housing associations, and community land trusts need more power, funding, and flexibility to deliver what works locally.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

Britain doesn’t have a shortage of ideas. It has a shortage of courage to execute them at scale. We don’t need another glossy target or soundbite. We need bold reform — planning that works, land that’s unlocked, SMEs empowered, infrastructure funded, and local voices trusted.

Only then will we break the cycle of promises without progress and finally deliver the homes this country so urgently needs.