Industry hopes Steve Reed’s appointment as housing secretary will ‘signal the start of a new drive for delivery’

Following Angela Rayner’s resignation last week over reports of underpaid stamp duty, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer swiftly reshuffled his cabinet, placing Reed in the pivotal role.

Industry leaders are hopeful that Reed, who has previously served as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will inject the urgency needed to meet the government’s ambitious target of delivering 1.5 million new homes by 2030.

A former MP for Croydon North and now representing Streatham and Croydon North, he led Lambeth Council between 2006 and 2012 and co-chaired the Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea (VNEB) regeneration programme – a 20,000-home development in south London.

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has called for Reed to prioritise progress, stressing that the UK remains far behind its annual target of 300,000 new homes.

Rising construction costs, delays in planning reforms, and the proposed landfill tax increases are compounding pressures and threatening to stall development.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, emphasised that Reed’s appointment “signals the start of a new drive for delivery,” urging him to take swift action on planning reforms and policies that will alleviate cost pressures and accelerate housing output.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) echoed this call for reform, highlighting the need to unlock the planning system and restore investor confidence to deliver on housing goals.

A spokesperson said: “Housing and the built environment are rightly central to the UK’s growth agenda, and it is essential that momentum for reform continues to unlock construction and give the sector confidence.”

With Reed now at the helm, the housing sector is looking to a new era of focused action, hoping that his leadership will catalyse the changes necessary to meet the UK’s housing ambitions.

Jonathan Layzell, chief executive at Stonewater, welcomed the appointment, noting that “the government’s ambitious targets and strong investment in affordable housing have played a crucial role in enabling housing providers like Stonewater to plan confidently for the long term.”

He stressed the need for continued policy stability to maintain momentum and reaffirmed Stonewater’s commitment to supporting delivery of safe, sustainable homes across the country.

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