The Intermediary – August 2026 - Flipbook - Page 79
R A P I D R E AC T I O N
Andy Burnham
the UK faces distinct complexities, but there
social housing will remain a key focus for his
is one shared requirement: to provide a range
government. Retaining Matthew Pennycook,
of sustainable and safe housing solutions that
now two years into the role, should maintain
keep pace with an ever-growing population.
With any change in Government or political
leadership comes new priorities, ambitions, and
styles of administration. In the case of Andy
Burnham, he has stated that housing will be at
momentum on planning and delivery. John
Healey also brings housing policy experience to
his new role as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
But Britain’s housing crisis is about more
than supply. Affordability matters, too. Building
the heart of future UK Government ambitions.
more homes is necessary, but it will not be
However, for this vision to be fully realised and
enough for buyers struggling to save a deposit
deliver the best possible outcomes, there will
or meet higher mortgage costs. The tax system
need to be sector-wide participation to help
also makes it harder and more expensive to
shape a clear roadmap for success.
Many elements of this plan still need to be
move. Stamp Duty can deter downsizing. Any
Council Tax reform that shifted more of the
fully developed to ensure planning is robust
burden onto higher value properties would need
and the delivery of new housing is efficient
careful design, particularly in London and the
and well considered. Creating homes is the
South East.
challenge; generating well-designed, functional
communities must be the goal.
Dean Leslie
director at GLPG
Andy Burnham’s appointment needs to be the
moment the Government finally gets serious
about putting life back into the housing market.
Developers are not short of ambition. They
want to buy sites, invest capital and build homes.
The problem is that too many schemes simply
do not make sense in the current market, so
developers are being forced to sit on their hands
when they would much rather be getting on.
The key is the end buyer. We need people
to feel confident and able to buy again. A
Meeting the existing target to build 1.5 million
homes will be important, but what is built, where
and at what price will matter, too. That includes
more homes for private sale and rent, as well as
more council and housing-association homes.
Local and regional leaders also need stronger
powers to unlock land and infrastructure. We
need conditions that make development viable
and carefully targeted support for buyers that
does not simply feed into house prices.
The Government’s success on housing should
be measured not only by the number of homes
completed, but by whether more people can
afford to buy, rent or move.
Laurence Morey
CEO at Pepper Money
meaningful Stamp Duty incentive or a new Help
to Buy style scheme could make an enormous
Andy Burnham inherits a housing market
difference almost overnight. It would improve
that isn’t working for millions of people whose
affordability, increase transactions and give
financial lives do not fit traditional lending
developers the confidence to commit.
assumptions. Mortgage reform must therefore be
Andy Burnham has built his reputation on
near the top of his in-tray from day one.
being practical and getting things done. That
Our latest Specialist Lending Study found that
is exactly what housing needs now. Not more
9.26 million UK adults – 17% of the population –
targets, speeches or announcements, but decisive
have experienced adverse credit in the past three
action that gets buyers moving and makes
years. That’s the highest figure recorded since we
development investable again.
The country does not need more promises
started this research nine years ago. Behind that
number are ordinary people who may have been
about building homes. It needs a Prime Minister
knocked off course by rising bills, income shocks
prepared to create a market in which they can
or wider financial pressures, not necessarily poor
actually be sold.
Rob Owens
head of research at e.surv
Andy Burnham’s initial appointments
provide continuity. Angela Rayner’s return as
Housing Secretary suggests that council and
financial decisions. Life, work and finances are
rarely linear, and a temporary setback should
not be allowed to define someone’s financial
future indefinitely.
There’s growing recognition of that
principle within the industry. The FCA is
already examining how mortgage rules can
better support creditworthy borrowers who’ve
experienced difficulties in the past. That’s not an
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August 2026 | The Intermediary
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