Following a high-profile resignation by Angela Rayner over a tax issue, UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer moved swiftly to appoint Steve Reed as the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Reed, who previously served as Environment Secretary, inherits Rayner’s housing brief at a critical juncture. He has launched his tenure with a promise to “get Britain building” so that “everyone has access to affordable, safe homes and thriving communities”.
As a multidisciplinary consultancy at the forefront of planning and infrastructure, we are closely tracking this ministerial change and its implications. In this analysis, we explore how the Rayner-to-Reed transition could impact the residential development sector, from planning reform and housing targets to infrastructure delivery, sustainability priorities, and investor confidence, and how we stand ready to help clients navigate the road ahead.
A change at the top often raises questions about the direction of planning policy. Reed steps into his new role amid industry calls to accelerate planning reforms and cut through persistent red tape. Local government leaders note that he inherits some of the biggest and most challenging policy agendas, with the fair funding review, planning and housing reforms and many more, all of which are vital for the new ministerial team to hit the ground running. In practice, this means the sector is looking for continuity, or even greater urgency, in simplifying and streamlining the planning system. Under Rayner’s tenure, some progress had been made toward reforming England’s complex planning rules, but many developers still face slow approval processes and uncertainty.
Industry voices are already urging Reed to pick up the pace. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has stressed that Britain remains far behind its annual target of 300,000 new homes due in part to “delays in planning reforms,” and it implores the new secretary to take swift action to unblock the system. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) likewise emphasises the need to unlock the planning system and continue the momentum for reform, as this will “give the sector confidence” and enable housing delivery at scale.
In short, planning reform remains front and center on the policy agenda, and the development industry is hopeful that Reed’s leadership will bring a renewed focus on practical changes (from updated National Planning Policy Framework guidance to digitalised, faster decision-making) that can catalyse housing growth. Brookbanks’ planning experts understand the nuances of these regulatory shifts and stand ready to help translate policy changes into actionable strategies for projects on the ground.
The change in Housing Secretary comes at a time of ambitious housing targets, and a clear gap between goals and reality. The Starmer government has set a goal of delivering 1.5 million new homes by 2030, which translates to roughly 300,000 homes per year. Yet the pace of construction has not kept up. The number of new homes built recently has “fallen short of the 300,000 that are needed each year” despite high-profile pledges. Angela Rayner had announced various initiatives aimed at “getting Britain building again,” but tangible outputs have lagged behind targets. This legacy sets the stage for Reed’s tenure: he must convert policy promises into shovels in the ground.
Encouragingly, Steve Reed appears poised to champion a drive for delivery. He has reportedly told officials that his mantra is “build, baby, build,” signaling an aggressive emphasis on boosting housebuilding across the country. Early reactions from the sector have been optimistic. We consider that this could signal the start of a new drive for delivery, and we urge him to ramp up efforts to alleviate cost pressures and accelerate housing output. Reed’s own background as a former leader of Lambeth Council, where he co-chaired the 20,000-home Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea regeneration program, suggests he has hands-on experience with large-scale housing delivery and urban growth initiatives. That experience, combined with his political mandate, could translate into policies that support developers in meeting (or at least closing) the gap to the 300k annual homes goal. From our perspective, a sustained push on housing delivery is welcome news. We have long assisted clients in navigating housing supply challenges, from feasibility through to construction, and we know that clarity in targets coupled with enabling policy can spur the market to respond with confidence.
Any significant uptick in housebuilding will inevitably shine a spotlight on infrastructure delivery, including roads, utilities, transport links, and community facilities that underpin new development. Major residential schemes cannot succeed without parallel investment in infrastructure. This is an area where policy and delivery must go hand-in-hand, and where 0ur multidisciplinary expertise in engineering, transport, and project management is especially valuable. The new Housing Secretary’s dual experience in local government and environmental affairs positions him to appreciate this integrated approach. As Environment Secretary, Reed was attuned to the importance of sustainable infrastructure, and as a former council leader, he directly grappled with aligning housing growth with services and transport. Indeed, his role in the Vauxhall Nine Elms project would have involved coordinating new housing with extensive infrastructure (from transport improvements to utilities), a microcosm of the challenges faced nationwide.
Under Reed’s leadership, we anticipate a continued focus on funding and facilitating the critical infrastructure needed to unlock housing sites. Recent events have underscored how crucial this is. For example, when a decision was made in August to withdraw government funding for a new wastewater treatment plant in Cambridge, a project that would have enabled thousands of homes on the old plant site, it placed a question mark over that city’s growth plans. Such cases illustrate that infrastructure bottlenecks can directly impede housing delivery. To avoid these pitfalls, the new minister will need to work closely with Treasury and local authorities on initiatives like the Housing Infrastructure Fund and other mechanisms that support upfront investment in transport, utilities, and flood management for new communities.
Our experts are at the forefront of this effort, as a development partner and engineering consultant, we help plan and deliver enabling infrastructure for large-scale projects across the UK. We will be watching how Reed approaches infrastructure funding and delivery pipelines, and we stand ready to advise clients on leveraging any new opportunities (or navigating any new requirements) that emerge.
Given Steve Reed’s background leading the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, it is expected that sustainability priorities will feature prominently in his approach to housing and development. The push for new homes will likely be balanced with commitments to quality, safety, and environmental responsibility, aligning with the UK’s broader goals for net zero and climate resilience. Housing associations and developers are keen to see continuity in sustainability policy. They highlight that stable government commitments have enabled long-term planning, such as investing in “sustainable retrofit projects that help customers reduce energy bills and live more sustainably.” It is “essential that these commitments remain firm,” stressed one housing provider, noting that clarity and consistency are key to maintaining momentum on green initiatives. In practice, this means developers are looking for support on things like improving energy efficiency of new and existing homes, encouraging low-carbon construction methods, and funding climate-resilient infrastructure.
Reed’s tenure could bolster these efforts. His experience in the environmental realm may help bridge housing policy with climate action, for instance, streamlining planning for renewable energy installations or championing modern methods of construction that reduce carbon footprints. Industry experts have already pointed out that Reed’s mix of experience puts him in a unique position to deliver housing targets while also advancing the transition to a green economy. We consider that Reed’s time at DEFRA and in local government should significantly assist in delivering the governments’ ambitious 1.5 million-homes target, helping to ensure the UK can meet its transition to renewable energy sources. We interpret this as a signal that the new Housing Secretary might pursue policies linking development with renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, for example, encouraging the integration of solar panels, EV charging networks, or green space in new housing schemes.
Of course, another facet of sustainability is building safety and resilience, an area already in sharp focus post-Grenfell and through initiatives like the Building Safety Act. The sector will expect Reed to continue prioritising safe as well as sustainable homes. Housing providers have voiced their commitment to delivering “safe, sustainable homes” across the country and will look to the government for consistent regulation and support to do so. Our environmental and engineering teams are deeply engaged in these sustainability priorities. From designing flood mitigation and low-impact drainage, to advising on carbon reduction strategies for large developments, we are helping clients marry the goals of housing growth with climate and environmental imperatives. We anticipate that Reed will maintain, if not strengthen, the policy focus on sustainability, and we are prepared to guide our partners through any new standards or opportunities that result.
Political uncertainty can rattle confidence in any sector, but the housing industry has responded to this ministerial change with cautious optimism. The swift appointment of Reed, coming just days after Rayner’s departure, minimised potential disruption. As one housing association chief noted, it was important the new secretary was installed quickly “to avoid uncertainty for the sector”. By moving decisively, the government sent a message that housing remains a core priority, helping reassure developers and investors that there will be continuity of focus. Indeed, sector leaders have taken heart that housing has “maintained its central place in the government’s agenda with a strong secretary of state in Steve Reed”. Simply put, the development community wants to know that the political will exists at the highest levels to follow through on housing promises. Reed will need to ensure that his department’s milestones, like the 1.5 million homes target, carry weight in Cabinet and translate into concrete policy support. This kind of top-level backing is critical for long-term investor confidence.
That confidence, however, depends not just on targets but on the day-to-day reality of how projects get approved and delivered. Here, consistent policy and reduced bureaucracy are key. In recent months, developers have warned that burdensome planning red tape and regulatory delays are undermining investor sentiment. The nascent Build to Rent Alliance, for example, reports that a slowdown in planning approvals contributed to an 18% drop in new BTR schemes, creating a “mild chilling effect” on investment in what should be a high-growth sector. Melanie Leech of the British Property Federation put it plainly: “planning reform is not enough, and we need to see real action to address viability challenges” so that the industry can reach its full potential. All of this suggests that developer and investor confidence hinges on tangible improvements in the development process, with fewer bottlenecks, clearer rules, and support in addressing cost pressures like rising materials prices or taxes on development (for instance, the sector is closely watching proposals to reform landfill tax, which builders fear could add costs to housing construction).
Reed’s early statements and the reaction of professional bodies indicate an understanding of this imperative. RICS has highlighted that housing and the built environment are “central to the UK’s growth agenda,” and that it is “essential that momentum for reform continues to unlock construction and give the sector confidence”. In other words, maintaining a stable, pro-development policy environment will be critical to keep investors on board and projects in the pipeline. We have observed first-hand how clarity (or uncertainty) in policy can sway the viability of developments. As trusted advisors to both private developers and public-sector promoters, we emphasise the importance of certainty, consistency, and communication from government. Our team brings integrated expertise, spanning technical engineering, commercial insights, and environmental know-how, which allows us to de-risk projects and find solutions even amid regulatory change. With Reed now at the helm, we are optimistic that a reinvigorated approach from the Housing Ministry can bolster confidence. And whatever shifts may come, we will be there to help clients adapt strategies, engage with policymakers, and keep their development ambitions on track.
Political leadership may change, but the fundamental needs of more homes, better infrastructure, sustainable communities remain. The appointment of Steve Reed as Housing Secretary marks a new chapter in UK housing policy, one filled with both challenges and opportunities. From planning reform to housing delivery targets, and from infrastructure investment to sustainability goals, the direction set in the coming months will shape the landscape for everyone in the residential development sector. We are closely monitoring these developments, as we have for over 25 years. Founded in 1997, we have built a reputation for delivering multidisciplinary professional services to the promoters and deliverers of major development, property, and infrastructure projects across the UK. We drive projects from initial feasibility through the complexities of planning, on to implementation and operation, meaning we’ve seen first-hand how political and regulatory shifts translate into on-the-ground realities.
Our team’s deep expertise in planning, technical engineering, environmental consulting, and project management positions us to interpret policy changes and advise our clients with a holistic perspective. We pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve; for example, our regular industry updates and newsletters dissect new policy shifts and industry trends, helping our partners stay prepared for what’s next. As the housing agenda evolves under new leadership, we remain at the forefront of guiding residential development through complex political and regulatory environments. We stand ready to support our clients, whether they are housing developers, local authorities, or investors, in navigating any changes or uncertainties that arise. By combining our technical know-how with strategic insight, we help turn policy into practice and uncertainty into opportunity.
Ultimately, the transition from Rayner to Reed is more than a change of names atop a ministry; it’s an inflection point that could recalibrate how the UK plans, builds, and sustains its communities. We are here to ensure that our clients not only adapt to these changes but thrive amid them. With a forward-looking approach and a commitment to excellence, we will continue to partner with stakeholders across the residential development sector, providing the steady guidance needed to realize ambitious projects, meet housing demand, and build the sustainable, thriving communities of tomorrow.
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