James Ashton: Homes the key to talent war win

The damning statistics in this month’s housing White Paper beg the question: why leave housing to the housebuilders?

Of course, the UK’s glacial progress in providing enough homes is not just down to the 10 firms that build 60% of all new dwellings scaling up their efforts. But why in London does it often take a year after planning consent is granted for building to begin, as a Grant Thornton study revealed last week?

One council planning chief suggested to me a novel approach to the problem that would help him hit his new homes target and cut commuter times: insist that every new commercial development includes homes for some of the workforce that will be based there.

Investment banking associates desperate to escape the office may view the prospect of living over the shop as little better than sleeping under their desk, but it is not a new idea. Only a generation ago, when the centre of London was less salubrious than today, pubs and hotels happily billeted their staff onsite. Then prices went up.

Critics say homes-for-workers would impact on the affordable housing allocation. Yet it presents opportunities for enterprising firms and councils.