Priority for 'Shovel-Ready' Schemes?

Build it now – will priority for funding and resources be channelled into 'shovel ready' schemes?

The Government has made some moves to support building projects that are ready to go ('shovel ready'). However, with reports of over 1 million homes permissioned and up to a third not built out, there is significant scope for the government to expand efforts to prioritise Shovel Ready schemes and simplify regulation on schemes that could get going in the next 6-12 months. This sort of near-term boost could provide a significant and immediate stimulus.

To help smaller builders, a dedicated fast-track unit within Homes England could be set up to provide additional support to smaller builders in order to help negotiate and remove red tape and blockers at a local level with local councils.

More widely, dedicated support around planning, regulatory and finance issues should be brought together with a time limited more flexible approach to breaking down barriers to delivery.

Institutional investors, for both affordable and build-to-rent markets, still face additional tax (e.g. SDLT) and regulatory hurdles, compared to other market participants. Removing these barriers is critical to unlocking a wall of capital investment waiting to be deployed into housing.

Shovel-Ready funding should be prioritised within the current allocations for MHCLG in 2026 and 2027 in order to ensure that the intended Government support for growth can be delivered within the funding envelope of this Parliament. That means reshaping and allocating funding programmes, including equity loans and guarantees, to those builders and councils who will commit to accelerate housebuilding through a targeted 'build it now' approach.

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