In a significant collaborative effort, the Rural Services Network, alongside several key organisations, has sent a joint letter to Matthew Pennycook MP, the Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Authored by leaders from CPRE, ACRE, NALC, Community Land Trust Network and the Town and Country Planning Association, this letter urges decisive action on the UK’s housing crisis, particularly highlighting the urgent need for genuinely affordable and social housing.

The letter emphasises support for recent governmental efforts to reform the planning system and stresses the need for a strategic, plan-led approach that includes brownfield regeneration and sustainable planning practices. Additionally, it calls for substantial changes to make affordable housing more accessible and linked directly to local incomes, rather than being pegged to market rates.

This crucial correspondence also proposes a re-evaluation of viability assessments to better facilitate the delivery of local plans, thereby ensuring that more social housing can be developed, especially in rural areas.

The Rural Services Network and its partners express a willingness to meet with government representatives to further discuss these proposals, aiming to ensure that future legislative and budgetary measures align with the needs of communities across the country.

Readers can access the full letter here to understand the recommendations and the collaborative effort put forth to address the housing challenges facing the nation. We will provide updates on any responses received to this pressing call for action.