🗺 What are we trying to do?

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We want the UK Government to legally classify housing as part of the nation’s infrastructure — just like roads, railways, and energy networks. This would force every level of government to treat housing delivery, quality, and location as critical to national wellbeing.

🎯 What will this achieve?

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• Prioritises housing in public investment and national budgeting
• Enables joined-up planning between homes, transport, and public services
• Protects affordable and social housing from short-term market pressures

🏩 NATIONAL LEVEL – What should our MP do?

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✅ 1. Propose an Infrastructure Status Bill

Push for legislation that:

• Adds housing to the statutory definition of infrastructure
• Requires national and local infrastructure strategies to include housing targets

✅ 2. Submit Written Questions

Ask HM Treasury and DLUHC:

• Why housing is not yet treated as critical infrastructure
• What steps would be needed to change this

✅ 3. Push for funding and delivery guarantees

Back reforms that:

• Tie infrastructure funding to housing affordability and need
• Enforce obligations on Homes England and local authorities to prioritise resilient housing delivery

🏡 LOCAL LEVEL (EHDC) – What can be done right now?

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✅ 1. Use local planning to join up infrastructure and housing

Ensure new developments are:

• Planned alongside schools, roads, and energy networks
• Prioritised based on need and delivery likelihood

✅ 2. Declare housing as essential infrastructure in EHDC policy

Update Local Plan vision statements and SPD (Supplementary Planning Documents) to reflect housing’s central role.

✅ 3. Track infrastructure alignment in site assessments

Score sites not just on availability, but also how well they connect to services and deliver long-term community benefit.

🤝 What should our MP do locally?

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• Support EHDC in using infrastructure scoring for housing
• Publicly promote EHDC’s efforts to align housing with long-term infrastructure
• Recommend EHDC as a case study in government consultations