16.12.13
Labour pledges to build 200,000 homes a year
Councils will be able to do more to allow developers to build beyond in neighbouring council areas in an effort to provide enough new housing to meet demand, Labour leader Ed Miliband is to announce.
In a speech he is expected to set out measures under a Labour government that he says would help build 200,000 homes a year. Miliband will attack councils that block development plans by neighbouring councils, and encourage housing developers to “use it or lose it” with land that already has planning permission.
He will say: “I want to send a clear message today: we will tackle those councils that block homes, those developers that hoard land and this government that fails to act on the worst housing shortages for a generation. We will stand up for homebuilders and first-time buyers.
“The next Labour government will give councils powers to charge fees or, if necessary, purchase such land, so that developers have an incentive to do what they went into business to do.
“We will back home builders. But we will tell land hoarders with sites that have planning permission that they must use it or lose it.
“Of course it is right that local communities have a say about where housing goes. But councils cannot be allowed to frustrate continually the efforts of other councils to get homes built.
“So the next Labour government will unblock this planning process and unlock the potential to build tens of thousands of new homes where they are needed.
“The government has focused almost solely on increasing demand for housing and, while tinkering with planning rules, has done next to nothing to increase supply. The result is a broken market where it now takes ordinary families over 20 years to save enough for a deposit and those renting privately are now paying half their income on rent.”
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