Labour’s Housing minister Matthew Pennycook defended the Government’s ambitious plans to build 1.5 million new homes, emphasising that local communities will play a crucial role in shaping development plans.
The minister stressed that while discussions with communities about housing developments would be welcomed, the conversation must focus on “how and where it goes, rather than whether it happens at all.”
The announcement comes as Labour unveils sweeping changes to planning rules, including a controversial redefinition of certain green belt areas as “grey belt” to facilitate increased housing development.
Pennycook told GB News that the Government is “determined to tackle the housing crisis” while ensuring local communities remain involved in the planning process.
Labour has unveiled sweeping changes to planning rules
GB News
The new framework will impose mandatory housing targets on local authorities across the country, with the Government aiming for over 370,000 homes annually.
Under Labour’s proposed method, the south east could be required to build nearly 70,000 new homes per year, second only to London’s target of 80,693.
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Some local councils face significant increases in their targets. Fareham, for instance, could see its requirement rise to 794 new houses, up from 498 under the current method.
Pennycook told GB News: “We are determined to tackle the housing crisis, to boost economic growth by meeting our plan for change milestone of 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament. But I would take issue with the fact that your assertion [is] that we’re just bypassing local communities.
“We want local communities involved early on with the production of local plans, because local plans, local development plans, are the best way for individual communities to shape development in their areas and to come to a view as to how housing should be developed and where it should go.
“But it does have to be a conversation about how and where it goes, rather than whether it happens at all, and that’s because we’ve got an acute and entrenched housing crisis in England.
“You will all know your viewers will know what that crisis means for people out there. It means 1.3 million people languishing on social housing waiting lists.
“It means a generation locked out of home ownership and, to our shame as a nation, it means nearly 160,000 homeless children will be living in temporary accommodation this Christmas. So the status quo is not sustainable.
“We won’t accept it. We are going to push local authorities across the country to help us get Britain building again, but we want that to be done via local plans.
“Which communities contribute to a large part of this plan.”
Matthew Pennycook has described it as an “acute and entrenched housing crisis in England.”
GB News
The Government’s urgency to reform housing policy comes against a backdrop of what Pennycook described as an “acute and entrenched housing crisis in England.”
Current figures show 1.3 million people are waiting for social housing across the country.
The minister highlighted that “to our shame as a nation,” nearly 160,000 homeless children will spend this Christmas in temporary accommodation.
These stark statistics underpin Labour’s determination to push through the controversial reforms, with Pennycook insisting that maintaining the current situation is not an option.
The housing crisis has left “a generation locked out of home ownership,” he added.
