HPA And Wilson & Co Properties Show Local MP Cat Smith Around New Housing Development
On Wednesday 5th March 2025, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) launched a proposed solution to tackle the housing crisis in the Houses of Parliament in front of an audience of cross-party MPs, Peers and Industry Experts. The RIBA ‘Foundations for the Future’ proposal sets out an innovative vision and model for the delivery of publicly funded affordable housing.
The RIBA ‘Foundations for the Future’ event was significant for RIBA in their ongoing efforts to help shape the future of housing across the country and was a vital opportunity to engage with and garner support from MPs, Peers and civil servants from across the political spectrum.
HPA Director Richard Wooldridge was asked to attend in his role as a member of the RIBA’s Expert Advisory Group for Planning and Housing. Richard shared HPA’s experiences of trying to deliver housing in the Lancaster and South Lakes Area with MHCLG, RIBA Staff and one of the Peers attending the meeting.
During the event, Mike Reader MP, challenged the construction industry professionals who were present to invite their local MPs to visit construction sites. He was keen for MP’s to a first-hand high-quality housebuilding in their constituencies, particularly those being built by local SME Housebuilders.
Following on from the ‘Foundations for the Future’ event, HPA invited their local MP Cat Smith, to meet with award-winning builder Wilson & Co Properties Ltd at their Estuary Hill development in Cockerham to see at first-hand the progress on a development of 25 high-quality homes. The scheme is nearing completion and contains a mix of 2, 3, 4 and 5-bedroom quality houses, both open-market and affordable. The meeting also provided an opportunity to the issues encountered at local Government level whilst navigating the planning system.
In a round table discussion with Cat Smith, Wilson & Co’s Director, Byron Wilson, and Richard Wooldridge presented their thoughts and frustrations about the current blockages in the planning system. Their solutions for improving the planning system for housebuilders included:
- Resources: The retention and recruitment of experienced Planning Officers and a return to employing in-house specialist legal planning support within Local Planning Authorities (LPA’s).
- Design: To have an experienced Architect and design champion in each LPA to advise on design as well as the formation of good Design Codes to allow innovative design schemes to be allowed.
- Experience: Having experienced Officers who are confident to make decisions on planning balance issues.
- Planning Conditions: to create national consistency on the use of Planning Conditions.
- Communication: Improve communication during the planning process.
- Viability: for Planning Authorities to understand the costs and delays caused by previous lack of investment over the years in utilities infrastructure.
- Consultation Responses: These sometimes take months, not days; and consultees often look for gold-plated solutions, rather than a solution proportionate to the project itself.
The visit was a valuable opportunity to bring together our client and our local parliamentary representative to discuss blockages in the planning system and to help shape the future of housing in our area.
