Rishi Sunak vowed not to ‘concrete over the countryside’ and said he would ensure new homes are built in major cities.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has claimed he will deliver 1 million homes by 2025 but says the homes will be built in ‘city centres’, not rural areas.
Sage Sunak has vowed not to ‘concrete over the countryside’ as he vowed that one of Britain’s new homes will be built in major cities.
The prime minister, who has insisted his government is on track to meet its target of building one million homes between 2019 and 2024, will identify denser inner-city areas where demand is greatest for any additional housing, rather than widening above the greenbelt.
Separately, Housing Secretary Michael Gove will announce plans to cut red tape to pave the way for further conversions of shops and takeaways in an effort to tackle the housing crisis.
Mr Sunak will say today: ‘Today I can confirm that we will deliver on our manifesto commitment to build 1 million homes in this Parliament. It is a beautiful new home for a million individual families in every corner of our country.
‘We have to keep going because we want more people to realize their dream of owning their own home.
The Prime Minister (pictured) will identify the densest inner cities with the greatest demand for any additional housing, rather than expanding on the Greenbelt
‘We won’t do it concretely in the countryside – our plan is to build the right homes in the heart of Britain’s great cities where they are most needed and where there is local support.
‘Our reforms today will help make this a reality, revitalizing unused brownfield land, smoothing the planning process and helping homeowners to renovate and extend their homes outwards and upwards.’
The proposals include creating a new urban quarter in Cambridge with space for homes, industrial facilities, laboratories and green areas.
To tackle Britain’s housing supply crisis, Mr Gove will also launch a review into expanding permitted development rights to make it easier to extend houses and convert lofts so buildings can be extended upwards and outwards.
New development corporations would unleash a wave of new homes in cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, he said, while councils would be able to use compulsory purchase orders to buy land and sell some of it to developers to build new homes.
He said: ‘Rather than concrete over the countryside, we have today set out a plan to build the right homes in the right places with community support – and we are putting the resources behind it to help make this vision a reality.’
The announcement comes just two weeks after a cross-party panel of MPs warned Tory ministers were unlikely to deliver 300,000 new homes each year after the Prime Minister advised targets rather than making them mandatory.
Clive Bates, who chairs the Leveling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, said the decision had ‘already had a damaging effect on efforts to build new homes’.
Shadow Housing Secretary Lisa Nandy said: ‘It takes some serious brass necking for the Tories to make more promises when the housing crisis goes from bad to worse on their watch and when housebuilding is set to hit its lowest rate since the Second World War as Rishi Sunak takes on his own MPs.
‘We no longer need reviews, press releases or empty promises, we need bold action to build Britain.
‘That’s why Labor plans to reform the planning system to build the homes we need We will restore housing targets, reform compulsory purchase rules and make tough choices to support builders, not blockers.’
Last night Local Government Associations (LGAs) raised concerns about the possibility of relaxing rules around permitted development rights, arguing it could lead to poor quality housing.
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