Property industry figures are urging the government to prioritise housing supply, first-time buyer support, and rental reform ahead of Labour's conference in Liverpool. Around 20,000 delegates and visitors are anticipated at the conference, which will be Andy Burnham’s first as prime minister.
Senior figures at LRG have called for action on three fronts: supporting first-time buyers, protecting rental supply, and making better use of England’s existing housing stock. Tim Foreman, managing director of Land and New Homes at LRG, advocates for a targeted successor to Help to Buy, arguing that planning reform alone will not generate sufficient demand for developers to build. He proposes restricting a new scheme to first-time buyers purchasing new homes, with regional price caps and income limits.
Government figures show an estimated 199,500 net additional homes were delivered in England during 2025-26, with new-build starts reaching 130,170 in the year to March 2026. A previous evaluation assessed Help to Buy, which facilitated over 387,000 property purchases between 2013 and 2023, as providing “very high” value for money.
Allison Thompson, chief lettings officer at Leaders, wants ministers to consider the combined impact of reforms on the private rented sector and monitor the effects of restrictions on rent in advance. Daniel Gale, national auctions director at First for Auctions, suggests focusing more on empty homes and providing councils with additional tools and incentives to bring them back into use, rather than relying solely on new development.