Executives will be replaced after Homes England's chief executive and chairman announced they would step down.
Chairman Peter Freeman and chief executive Peter Denton will step down after four years leading the government's Housing and Regeneration Authority. 
The move comes after Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook wrote to the agency at the end of September setting out “seven immediate priorities” to help the government reach its target of building 1.5 million homes over the next five years. This was done in response to what was sent.
This goal is 50% more than the number of homes the country has delivered in the past five years.
new year movement
Homes England said Mr Denton would “continue in the new year”, while Mr Freeman would “take over from the board once the recruitment of a new chairman has been completed in the second half of next year”.
It added: “The new Chair and Interim Chief Executive will focus on driving growth through new housing provision and place-based regeneration, in order to deliver on the priorities set out in the recent letter from the Housing Secretary. “We will act quickly,” he added. ”
Denton points out: “We will support the Government to reach its 1.5 million home target and equip mayors and councils with the capacity and capacity to deliver local growth plans, including the largest delivery of new social housing in the last two years. “We’re excited about what we can offer.”
“This requires a leadership team that is looking beyond the time period that I originally set out.
“It is therefore important that a new chair and a new chief executive take on this incredibly fresh role in 2025.”
Mr Freeman said: “This agency has a key role in managing many of the government interventions to boost housing and regeneration across the country by supporting local authorities, affordable housing and our partners in housebuilding. “I play a very important role.”
Completion of lower level housing
Mr Pennycook thanked the outgoing Homes England leadership for their efforts.
He said: “On behalf of the Government, I would like to thank Peter Freeman and Peter Denton for their leadership of the agency in recent years.
“We will shortly begin the recruitment process for a replacement, with the search for a new chairman commencing next week and an interim chief executive expected to be confirmed shortly.
The September letter from the Housing Secretary to England's Housing Authority last month comes after the agency's 2023/24 annual report showed house completions had fallen by 4.2% on the previous year to 32,300. It is something that was given.
Housing starts were 35,600, down 4.3% year-on-year, but 26,200 previously delayed deliveries were completed, more than double the figure from 12 months ago.
minister's letter
In a Sept. 30 letter, Pennycook told Freeman, “I have seven immediate priorities that I want to ensure the agency addresses.”
these are:
“We hope that government agencies will do everything in their power to accelerate development and increase deliveries in 2024/25.”
Mr Pennycook added: “This will require increasing the agency’s offer and role as master developer; leveraging funding programs more effectively; and leveraging existing powers available, including the rarely used compulsory purchase right. There is a growing desire to utilize it.”
“We hope the New Homes Accelerator continues to provide adequate support to speed up the delivery of large sites where construction has stalled or is too slow.
The New Homes Accelerator is a program that brings together the government, Housing England, local authorities and developers to 'unblock' delayed homes.
The government has identified around 200 sites with outline or detailed planning permission that have the potential to deliver up to 300,000 homes, with work on site delayed.
The minister added: “This work will also be extended to new sites where Homes England is not currently involved, but where Homes England support is recognized as the best means of accelerating delivery. There is,” he added.
“Government agencies will provide expertise and advice to the New Towns Task Force as needed, and lead more proactively in place-based delivery (of the Housing Authority) on New Towns and other major schemes. We look forward to continuing to support these efforts.”
The New Towns Taskforce is a 10-member independent committee established last month and chaired by Sir Michael Lyons.
Its job is to recommend “next generation” new towns that provide at least 10,000 new homes.
In total, these areas should receive hundreds of thousands of new homes by 2050.
A major report identifying the locations of these towns will be submitted to Housing Secretary Angela Rayner next summer.
“We hope that government agencies will take steps to maximize the number of social rent homes.” “We hope that government agencies will support the reform and diversification of the housing market.”
The letter said this should include efforts to support sectors such as small builders, build-to-rent, mixed ownership and the wider introduction of custom homes.
The agency “must remain focused on achieving the best value for money for taxpayers and ensure the agency drives efficiency and prioritizes resources.” The department “needs to ensure that government agencies provide robust and timely information to the budget and spending review process.”
The Housing Minister added in the letter that the Government will publish an updated National Planning Policy Framework by the end of the year, outlining its long-term housing policy.
