The changing face of residential property

Property agents, landowners, developers, house builders, and ecologists came together to discuss the current state of play in the residential property industry at Lodders’ Property Conference in Warwickshire on 14 May 2025.

From Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to planning reform, the conference provided insights into the future of the property industry as well as the current challenges and opportunities.

The Property Conference, hosted by Lodders at The British Motor Museum, explored how housebuilders are to meet the government target of 1.5 million homes by 2030 whilst navigating BNG agreements and new planning and infrastructure frameworks.

Mark Miller, partner and head of the Real Estate group at Lodders explains: “We are in a period of great change in the residential property sector, and keeping pace with that change is essential for all stakeholders. The new government’s ambition to ‘Get Britain Building Again’ is welcome, but delivering on this goal means confronting a series of entrenched challenges, from material constraints and a shortage of skilled trades, to evolving planning policies and BNG requirements. Add to that the impact of global trade pressures, including US tariffs, and the landscape becomes even more complex.”

Residential property: current state of play

Sharing expert insights on the residential property sector were a range of speakers including keynote speaker Ian Burns, director of Tara Developments, Hamish Simmie, associate director in the residential research and consultancy team at Savills, and a panel featuring Alexa Culver, general counsel at RSK Wilding, David Haimes, land director at Civity – The Net Gain Exchange, Sam Arthur, senior director of ecology at FPCR, and Victoria Longmore, partner and head of BNG at Lodders.

Ian Burns is director of Tara Developments, which owns Cameron Homes, Keon Homes, and Chasetown Civil Engineering, is a non-executive director of the New Homes Quality Board, and a senior advisor to the Housing Growth Partnership. He provided insights into the current challenges and opportunities in the housebuilding sector, including reflections on the recent Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

“The government is keen to improve customer satisfaction levels and wants SME housebuilders to rise to the challenge,” he said. “We’re facing a housing crisis driven by a combination of factors: the planning crisis, increased regulations, rising development costs, land viability issues, skills shortages, and affordability concerns.

“It’s essential that we promote the quality and benefits of new homes – not just in terms of design, but also their smaller carbon footprint. We need to attract and retain talent, harness IT and AI to modernise the industry, and improve diversity and inclusion. The working environment is absolutely key to delivering more homes. At the same time, we need increased government support, especially for first-time buyers.”

Burns noted that the National Planning and Policy Framework (NPPF) represents a step change in how housebuilding targets are calculated, and that more planning professionals are desperately needed in the sector.

He concluded by saying: “After 40 years in the industry, I can’t recall a more challenging time, compounded by an ever-shifting political landscape and trade wars. We are living in a very uncertain period, but I remain cautiously optimistic about what the next five years will bring for the sector.”

Following this, Hamish Simmie shared Savills’ latest market intelligence on the residential development land sector, highlighting ‘signs of stability’ in the market.

He said: “We expect rate cuts in 2025 to improve affordability. Indeed, market activity is picking up, driving value growth in more affordable markets. However, the supply-demand imbalance persists. New build sales rates are stable, but lower, and the falling of planning consents could pose issues for new home delivery.”

On the policy side, he notes a lot of movement that is set to shape the residential property market: “Housing targets have increased by 23%, the Housing Delivery Test is returning, and there is a new approach to the Grey Belt. In addition, the New Towns Taskforce has been established, there is a more streamlined process for major infrastructure projects, and additional resource and training is being provided for local authority planning teams.”

Navigating Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)

Finally, BNG was explored in detail, with delegates hearing from the expert panel chaired by Lodders partner and strategic land and residential development specialist James Mottram.

He said: “England’s BNG legislation is world-leading and demonstrates that nature, recovery, growth and sustainability can thrive together. There has been a noticeable shift in attitude towards BNG – it’s now the norm, or at least the accepted position across much of the industry. But local authorities still need clearer guidance. Whilst more green space and nature is always a positive, we’re seeing issues with real-world delivery. There’s often a disconnect at the construction stage, and the current delivery mechanisms are creating friction in the system. Many believe BNG has helped create a level playing field, but more practical solutions are needed. As understanding of BNG continues to grow, it’s likely we’ll see an increase in land supply as a result.”

Discussing the topic, the panel stressed the need for clearer government guidance, particularly around the monitoring of BNG projects.

Legal risks associated with BNG agreements were also addressed. The panel recommended that flexibility be built into legal agreements, particularly when developers are purchasing units from habitat banks rather than fulfilling the mandatory 10% net gain onsite.

Looking ahead, the panel expressed support for a future BNG system that is affordable, generates income, delivers high-quality and well-managed habitats, and benefits from more streamlined processes. They also emphasised the importance of collaboration with local communities to ensure long-term success.

Real estate legal specialists

Lodders represents many landowners, developers, and agents, advising a wide range of legal matters from strategic land acquisition to land disposal as well as providing expert advice on planning, biodiversity, and construction matters.

The firm’s award-winning Real Estate group is Lodders’ largest team and brings together city expertise and impeccable client service. Our real estate legal specialists are the first choice for many of the regions’ most successful residential, commercial, and industrial developers; property investors; logistics companies; landowners; and owner-occupiers.

For more information about our real estate services, get in touch with the friendly team today.