Labour Party Election Proposals For Housebuilding

In a speech to the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum yesterday, the Labour Party Deputy Leader Angela Raynor set out proposals for dealing with the housing crisis. These include:

• Central Government re-introducing local housing targets – and ensure that they are met.
• Appoint an independent task force to identify sites where a new generation of New Towns across the UK will be built, with the identity of the locations announced within 12 months of being elected to govern.
• Start to build these New Towns, with the first houses completed within the first term of government.
• A New Towns Code will be established, including a Gold Standard aim of 40% affordable housing.
• Unlocking government grants to deliver new homes.
• Giving first time buyers ‘first dibs’ on new developments with a comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme.

Goadsby Town Planning Director Peter Atfield comments, “The intriguing part of these proposals is the independent task force site identification process. On the face of it, this seems to be over-riding the plan led system that has been administered by all governments since 1990. It could be construed as a centralised approach designed to usurp the local democratic process. Time – and an election – will tell.”

For further details contact Peter Atfield B.TP MRTPI MTCPA FRGS FRSA on 01202 550100 or e-mail: peter.atfield@goadsby.com