The North West’s Housing Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities

• The UK’s housing shortage remains a pressing issue, and the North West Future of Housing conference, hosted by The Insider, brought together industry leaders to discuss solutions. Ringley’s new joint venture with JP Hay, a major player in Manchester’s Build-to-Rent (BTR) market, signals progress in addressing the region’s housing needs.

Meeting Housing Targets: The Need for Better Utilization of Existing Properties

• Over the past decade, the North West has only achieved 74% of its housebuilding target. While cities like Manchester and Liverpool have revitalized rundown areas, the pace of new housing remains slow. Bringing unused properties back into circulation alongside new builds could help bridge the gap.

Modular Construction: A Faster Solution with Financial Challenges

• Modular construction is gaining momentum in Bolton and Warrington, enabling homes to be completed in just eight weeks. The government is encouraging factory-based production for public projects, but developers face high upfront costs, making it difficult to scale up this approach without financial support.

Land Supply and Greenbelt Development: Overcoming Planning Barriers

• The availability of land remains a challenge, with BTR projects emerging on local authority land and some greenbelt areas being opened for development. However, developers hesitate to propose projects on greenbelt land due to the risk of rejection, highlighting the need for clearer planning frameworks.

The Push for Green Construction: Can Sustainability and Profitability Align?

• Despite increasing interest in sustainable housing, there are no mandatory regulations driving green construction. Developers need to determine whether tenants are willing to pay higher rents for eco-friendly homes with lower utility bills, or if stronger regulations are needed to make sustainable housing the norm.

Collaboration is Key: Public and Private Sectors Must Work Together

• The general sentiment from the conference was that more can be done to accelerate housing development in the North West. A clear vision for future housing, combined with strong collaboration between public and private sectors, will be essential for overcoming current barriers and delivering long-term solutions.