Accelerator Scheme Targets Barriers to Housing Delivery

The programme, launched in August 2024, was designed to overcome barriers to development on large, consented sites by drawing on the expertise of Homes England and wider government resources.

In its first year, the initiative has accelerated the build-out of 36,000 homes that were previously delayed, with support ranging from additional planning capacity to streamlining regulatory processes. A further 63,000 homes have advanced through the planning system as a result of closer coordination with government bodies and agencies.

The six new sites now set to receive targeted support are:

Wisley Airfield, Guildford
Hampden Fields, Aylesbury
Comeytrowe Garden Community (Orchard Grove), Somerset
North Leigh Park, Wigan
Billet Road, Redbridge, London
High Road West, Haringey, London

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More Affordable Housing

The MHCLG stated that these developments, when combined, would deliver over 12,000 new homes, with at least 25% of the housing across the schemes being affordable.

At Wisley Airfield, for example, the Accelerator enabled Taylor Wimpey to begin work by speeding up responses from statutory consultees, supporting the local planning authority, and ensuring infrastructure works could get underway quickly.

Elsewhere, the programme has also supported sites such as Worcestershire Parkway, where 4,500 homes are planned, with officials citing “breakthrough progress” as evidence of its impact.

Neil Jefferson, CEO of the Home Builders Federation (HBF) said:

“Government has shown a welcome desire to address the thorny practical issues that hold up development. These barriers have long made investing in new housing sites hazardous.

The sites identified through the Accelerator share the same challenges faced by many others across the country, where limited resources or resistance from public bodies delay delivery.

If the government is serious about meeting its housing supply targets, these interventions can set the standard for wider policy reform—notably to support smaller developers who are most vulnerable to delays and viability pressures.”