Labour increases housebuilding target to 370,000
The Labour Party has increased the annual housebuilding target. Its original manifesto pledge was 300,000 but now it has risen to 370,000. This would mean that there would be 1.85 million homes delivered in five years.
The UK is on track to build 200,000 homes in 2024, according to Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minster. She branded it as “unforgivable” going on to describe the current situation as the “most acute housing crisis in living history.” London’s housebuilding target ha fallen from 100,000 to 80,000 according to government officials. Rayner called the previous target unrealistic.
Every council is required to have an up-to-date local housing plan with the government being prepared to step in if they are struggling to make sufficient progress on these plans. Land close to an existing transport infrastructure has to be considered in particular.
Labour hopes that most building will happen on brownfield land, though the party is also reviewing areas of the green belt which it would reclassify as “grey belt.” Half of homes built in the “grey belt” are required to be affordable.
Rayner said that Labour will publish a long-term housing strategy over the coming months and Merseyside and Manchester are particularly thought to be among the areas rife for attracting new housebuilding projects. Labour also says it is hoping to deliver new social housing as new councils will be given the green light to go ahead with proceeds from Right to Buy builds and buy new homes.
