The Government has unveiled a renewed commitment to tackling the housing crisis, with new Housing Secretary Steve Reed issuing a decisive “call to arms” to leading developers and housebuilders. The initiative aims to deliver new homes over the course of this Parliament, backed by major planning reforms, landmark legislation, and collaboration with industry leaders.
Speaking alongside Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, Reed reinforced the government’s ambition to “build, baby, build”, pledging to leave no stone unturned in addressing barriers to housing delivery.
The government’s ‘Plan for Change’: transforming housing delivery
At the heart of this drive is the government’s Plan for Change, a strategy to accelerate housebuilding by addressing planning bottlenecks, boosting investment, and unlocking sites across the country.
Key priorities include:
- Major planning reforms through the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, designed to simplify the approval process while balancing local input and environmental protection.
- Investment in housing infrastructure, including £39 billion through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
- Unlocking brownfield land, with millions invested in councils to bring disused sites back into use.
- Mandatory housing targets, reinstated to reverse previous curbs on supply and drive housebuilding to its highest level in over four decades.
- New Homes Accelerator, already unblocking nearly 100,000 homes nationwide.
Industry partnership: working with developers and housebuilders
To make this ambitious plan a reality, the Housing Secretary hosted a roundtable with major developers and industry bodies, including:
- Vistry Group
- Taylor Wimpey
- Berkeley
- Barratt Redrow
- Persimmon
- Thakeham
- The Hill Group
- Lendlease
- Urban&Civic
- Grainger
- British Land
- Landsec
- Homes England
- Home Builders Federation (HBF)
- Federation of Master Builders (FMB)
- Land, Planning and Development Federation (LDPF)
- Muse
The discussion centred on upcoming planning reforms, methods to accelerate development, and the role of government in reducing barriers to construction.
Building at pace: what the reforms mean for digital construction
For the digital construction sector, the government’s housing agenda represents both a challenge and an opportunity. With the target of 1.5 million homes, efficiency and scalability will be crucial—driving the adoption of digital construction technologies such as:
- Building Information Modelling (BIM): improving collaboration between developers, contractors, and government bodies.
- Modular construction and offsite manufacturing: reducing build times while ensuring quality and sustainability.
- Digital twins and data-driven design: supporting smarter planning decisions and lifecycle management of housing stock.
- AI-driven planning and project management tools: streamlining approvals and optimising resource allocation.
The emphasis on speed, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness aligns directly with the sector’s capabilities. By embedding digital innovation in housing delivery, developers can not only meet targets but also deliver smarter, greener communities.
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: a turning point for housing
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, now passing into law, is designed to be a catalyst for faster building. Its goals include:
- Cutting red tape in planning while maintaining local voices.
- Unlocking stalled sites that face viability or regulatory challenges.
- Encouraging sustainable development, ensuring environmental commitments remain central.
- Supporting new towns and large-scale housing projects to meet long-term demand.
These reforms are set to unleash one of the most significant housebuilding eras in UK history.
A defining moment for UK housing and digital construction
The Housing Secretary’s “call to arms” signals the start of a transformative phase in UK housing delivery. With a housing target set both government and industry will need to collaborate closely, leveraging digital construction solutions to build faster, smarter, and more sustainably.
For developers, housebuilders, and digital innovators alike, this is a pivotal moment. By embracing BIM, modular building, digital twins, and data-driven planning, the sector can turn policy ambition into on-the-ground results—delivering homes that communities need, at a scale not seen for over 40 years.
The government’s Plan for Change is not just a political mission; it is an invitation to industry leaders, technology providers, and construction professionals to shape the future of UK housing.
Read next: New appointment to advise Chancellor on planning and infrastructure reforms – Build in Digital
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