Question Time: Wes Streeting grilled on Labour’s housing plans
Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to build 370,000 homes a year – and willingness to “bulldoze” his way through local authority planning regulations – overlooks the fact that the crisis has precipitated by rampant immigration, Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has claimed.
Meanwhile Tory MP Bradley Thomas – who has pledged to fight what he calls “inappropriate greenbelt development” – has insisted house building “must be with the consent of local people”.
Today, the UK Government unveiled significant changes to planning regulations aimed at simplifying the process of building new properties.
Central to these reforms is the commitment to increasing the annual housing target by 70,000, with measures to enforce mandatory local housing targets.
The updated rules also expand the use of “grey belt” land and introduce a clearer presumption in favour of sustainable development.
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Sir Keir Starmer announced his plans yesterday (Image: Getty)
However, critics argue that expanding development into greenbelt areas risks undermining natural landscapes and biodiversity. Furthermore, while the government claims the new policies empower local councils and communities, others fear they might reduce local influence by imposing top-down housing targets.
Great Yarmouth MP Mr Lowe highlighted another concern.
He told the Express: “Starmer is ready to bulldoze local councils to meet his unrealistic housing targets.
“If he tackled immigration and prioritised economic growth with the same determination, we wouldn’t need 1.5 million new homes.”
Rupert Lowe believes the new housing is only needed because of high levels of immigration (Image: Getty)
He added: “While as a country we do need to build more houses, house building must be with the consent of local people and be approved by democratically elected local councillors. Imposing mandatory targets on us will do nothing to improve public trust in the planning system.”
The Government was imposing an 82 percent increase in Bromsgrove District Council’s mandatory housing target, Mr Thomas pointed out.
He said: “An increase to our mandatory housing target would be understandable if the formula the Government is using actually reflected the local housing market in Bromsgrove, however it is completely flawed.
“I want affordable homes for my constituents, especially for first time buyers, but the Government’s proposed affordability calculations fails to accurately measure local housing demand, creating an incorrect housing need figure.”
Bradley Thomas made protecting the greenbelt central to his general election campaign (Image: Bradley Thomas)
Echoing Mr Lowe’s concerns, Mr Thomas suggested the Government’s target of building 1.5 million homes during the lifetime of this Parliament would be “pointless” if net migration continued at current levels.
He added: “I see no urgency from this Government to reduce migration, both legal and illegal, which is putting immense pressure on housing and public services.
“And how is it right that the Government is reducing housing targets for cities like London and Birmingham, where the need is most acute, and forcing constituencies like mine to build thousands of homes on green belt?
“It’s wrong and I will continue to fight to protect our green belt.”
Labour is pledging to build 370,000 homes a year (Image: Getty)
Supporters have highlighted the urgency of addressing the housing crisis, which has left many unable to secure adequate homes, arguing such reforms, including streamlined planning permissions and incentives for developers, could accelerate housing delivery.
Nevertheless, balancing such objectives with the protection of local environments and ensuring developments are sustainable and community-focused remains a key challenge.
Outlining his plans yesterday, Prime Minister Sir Keir said: “With a generation of young people whose dream of homeownership feels like a distant reality, and record levels of homelessness, there’s no shying away from the housing crisis we have inherited.
“Our plan for change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people’s pockets.”
