This Public Accounts Committee inquiry examines the government's progress to sell land for more than 160,000 homes by 2020. This work follows on from our June 2015 investigation, the Disposal of public land for new homes which looked at the first land release programme and the January 2016 progress review of the recommendations made.
This September follow-on inquiry seeks to examine whether the additional evidence provided to the Committee of Public Accounts on the progress of the first programme is accurate, how the new programme has been implemented and how will it be managed. The inquiry also plans to look, in detail, at how departments plan to deliver the programme, and what is their progress to date.
National Audit Office report
The National Audit Office (July 2016) have recently concluded that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has made progress in setting up its new programme to release enough public sector land for 160,000 homes by 2020, but so far only land with capacity for an estimated 8,580 homes has been disposed of. The Department has, however, committed to monitor the progress of land development including the number of homes built.
Their report found that, in the first full ten months of the new programme, the department has only met 5% of its commitment. Additional land with capacity for another 4,853 homes (an additional 3%) has been disposed of.
The Homes and Communities Agency, responsible for collecting information from government departments, has not yet however obtained sufficient evidence that this additional land will actually be developed for housing.