Who will step into the Position of Housing & Planning Minister?

As Prime Minister Theresa May announces some of her Cabinet positions following the general election 2017, the housing industry will be wondering who will follow in the footsteps of Grant Shapps. Mark Prisk, Kris Hopkins, Brandon Lewis and Gavin Barwell as Housing & Planning Minister?The Prime Minister has confirmed the following Cabinet posts with high profile MPs:

• The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP - Chancellor of the Exchequer
• The Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP - Secretary of State for the Home Department
• The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP - Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
• The Rt Hon David Davis MP - Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
• The Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon KCB MP - Secretary of State for Defence

Gavin Barwell’s biography on the .Gov website has already been updated after his defeat in Croydon last night, so who can we hope takes on such a key position which still sits under the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, a position held by Sajid Javid.

With a portfolio of responsibility which includes Housing Supply Policy, Home Ownership Policy, Planning Policy, Building Regulations and Private Rented Sector Regulation, we hope for someone with experience and the ability to manage a brief that is still not taken seriously enough by Government.

Pre-the Election, the Private Rented Sector was waiting for the additional elements of the Housing & Planning Act 2016 to be introduced, guidance on the implementation of the Tenant Fee Ban and mandatory Client Money Protection. The changes within the sector have been incessant, we need someone with the conviction and strength to ensure that the future of housing in the UK is strong.