A September 2023 poll reported doubts among landlords about whether proposed planning changes would substantially increase England’s housing supply. LandlordZONE’s account described research by Mortgages for Business involving several hundred buy-to-let owners. It captured views on the proposals, rather than evaluating completed developments.
The policy discussion included a review of permitted development rights intended to make some commercial-to-residential conversions easier. Empty shops and offices were presented as possible sources of additional homes. The poll asked whether changes of that kind would be sufficient to meet the scale of the housing challenge.
Only 7% of respondents believed the proposals would be successful, according to the report. Some 59% thought their effect would be limited, while 19% considered that the focus could make the shortage worse. Those percentages describe opinion within the sample. They do not establish how many homes the eventual measures delivered.
The location of new supply was a particular concern. The article questioned whether development in some cities would address pressure in different parts of the country. That distinction matters to the argument: a national total does not show whether additional homes are in the places where particular households need them.
Brownfield land was another theme. The source discussed proposed city development corporations and reported that 24% of respondents believed brownfield development alone could resolve the housing crisis. The survey did not measure the capacity, condition or deliverability of every potential site.
Gavin Richardson of Mortgages for Business welcomed the prospect of bringing unused commercial buildings into use, but argued that this would be insufficient on its own. He also advocated a wider discussion about land around London. Those were attributed policy views, not an explanation of current planning permission or advice that a particular conversion was allowed.
This retrospective records one part of the September 2023 debate about the scale and geography of housing delivery. It distinguishes a landlord poll from a construction forecast and from the law governing an individual site. Its central question was whether a limited set of planning measures could meet a much broader housing need.