Housing minister declares “digital revolution” for land and CPOs

Housing minister Esther McVey says Compulsory Purchase Orders and brownfield land registers are to be made digitally transparent. 

This will allow CPO data to be interrogated by PropTech tools to obtain space and energy efficiency data on individual properties, while existing Brownfield Land Registers will be improved to allow developers to interrogate them online.

McVey - who yesterday led a roundtable discussion on improving the digitisation of property information - says: “We’ve had revolutions in the way that financial services, online banking and transport are provided, turning once unimaginable possibilities into everyday realities. Now it’s the turn of the UK property market.

“Whatever homebuyers prioritise, whether it’s the quality of local schools, the probability of getting a seat on a train, or having easy access to leisure facilities, this technology could transform the way we find and purchase homes.

“And new technology will link builders to brownfield sites more easily, enhance how developers engage with local communities, help builders deliver new homes and modernise the way we buy and sell land and houses, cutting the time it takes to get housing from the drawing board to families getting the keys.”

She adds: “The UK property sector is on the cusp of a digital revolution. It’s time to harness new technology to unlock land and unleash the potential of housebuilders in all parts of the country and to revolutionise the way in which we buy homes.”

McVey wants individuals to comment on planning applications online and via apps, and prospective buyers to be able to calculate commute times when they look at properties on websites and portals.