Housing and planning minister Yvette Cooper has said the UK housing market is “failing to respond to market conditions.” In her first main speech since being appointed as minister Cooper said planning policy had to be more responsive to housing need. “The challenge for us it to find the way that the planning system can effectively do that,” she said. This follows Barker review recommendations that said planning needed to react to market signals and that more land should be released for development by local authorities. Cooper went on to suggest the planning system would come under a wider review. “We are looking to simplify and improve section 106,” she said. She also added “there are changes we can make to PPG3” in order to assist in the release of land. Cooper also took the opportunity to take a swipe at “Conservative politicians who campaigned against housing growth in their area. The message this sends to first time buyers is ‘we don’t want you round here’,” she said.