Cameron promises ‘Tory housing revolution’

Aaron Morby 13 years ago
Share

David Cameron yesterday pledged to inspire a Tory housing revolution and underlined his commitment to sweeping planning reform.

In his speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, the Prime Minister said he recognised there was a failure in the housing market.

He said that was why Government was unveiling important new measures to stimulate building.

He also had harsh words for those opposing planning reforms, warning that businesses could not expand as they were “stuck in the mud of our planning system”.

“To those who just oppose everything we’re doing, my message is this: take your arguments down to the job centre. We’ve got to get Britain back to work.”

He said: “The failure of the housing market is bound up in the debt crisis. Because lenders won’t lend, builders won’t build and buyers can’t buy,” he said.

“We’re sorting this out, bringing back the right-to-buy,” he said.

“We will use the money to build new homes. Macmillan made us the party of the property-owning democracy. Margaret Thatcher gave people the right-to-buy.

“Now let us, in this generation, inspire a new Tory housing revolution.”

His revitalised right-to-buy scheme will see more attractive discounts offered to tenants to buy there homes.

Cash from this will be funneled into a second wave of affordable housing grants expected to allow the construction of 100,000 new homes to be built.

Government also plans to release thousands of acres of public land for house building. A further 100,000 homes could be built under the new scheme, which will allow house builders and housing associations to build now and pay later for land.

He also said he sympathised with sections of the public concerned for the safety of the green belt under plans for a new National Planning Policy Framework.

“But let’s get the balance right. The proportion of England that is currently built up is 9%. Yes, 9%.

“There are businesses out there desperate to expand, to hire thousands of people – but they’re stuck in the mud of our planning system.

“Of course we are open to constructive ideas about how to get this right.”

Cameron said: “It’s hard to blame local people for opposing developments when they get none of the benefits.

“If new homes get built – you keep the council tax. This is a localist plan from a localist party.”

Several Government departments have published their land disposal strategies. These include the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health, the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said last night: “The Government is one of the country’s biggest landlords, so at a time when we desperately need more homes, we have a critical role in making new sites available for developers and communities.

“So I’m delighted that Government departments have quickly taken up the ambitious challenge to release land with capacity for over 50,000 new homes, and that property specialists will continue to work with these departments to make sure that no stone is left unturned.

“I will look to ensure that as much of this public land as possible is available under our innovative Build Now, Pay Later model – helping get developers on site and laying the foundations for these homes as quickly as possible.”

Shapps also outlined an “improved process” for requesting the sale of public land and buildings by filling in a “user friendly form”, alongside a website mapping public sector assets owned by councils and other public bodies.

Latest news

Keltbray fine increased to £18m after failed bid rigging appeal

Contractor loses penalty discount for settling with competition authorities
2 hours ago

Luxury house builder goes under with 70 job losses

Octagon Developments in administration after 40 years in business
12 hours ago

Top Ten best read stories of 2024

The biggest headlines of an eventful year. Have a good one and here's to a successful 2025
19 hours ago

BAM Nuttall fined £800,000 after concrete skip tragedy

Young labourer killed by falling bale arm
2 days ago

Keltbray infrastructure business reveals new name

AUREOS means "new dawn" after private equity acquisition
18 hours ago

Stiffer fines for over-running street works from next Summer

Cash raised from lane rentals to be channeled into pothole repairs
18 hours ago

£113m Basildon rental homes scheme seals build finance

Work expected to start early next year on Market Square project
18 hours ago

Notting Hill Genesis seeks more tier 1 repairs contractors

London housing trust seeks eight firms for new £1.5bn repairs framework
18 hours ago

Reclaimed steel oil rig columns worked into London office revamp

Curo will use reclaimed bricks and steel for Fitzrovia office overhaul
1 day ago

CITB delays levy approval consultation

Levy agreement talks pushed back by ongoing review into effectiveness of training body
2 days ago

Ofwat approves £104bn water industry spending plan

Household water bills to rise by 36% to fund quadrupling of investment
2 days ago

Costain/ Siemens JV clinches HS2 power supply job

£300m deal for HV power supply systems over the 225km route
2 days ago

Demolition team assembles on Multiplex London Wall site

Erith to start work next month at Deutsche Bank's former headquarters
3 days ago

Norwich Council acts to revive £300m Anglia Square scheme

Council uses Homes England funding to buy stalled site with planning for 1,100 homes
2 days ago

Go-ahead for 4,500-home Cambridgeshire new town

Waterbeach new town plan stalled three years ago after an Environment Agency objection
2 days ago

Henry Boot to take total control of Stonebridge Homes

Deal worth at least £30m
2 days ago

HS2 costs could hit £66bn

Government looking for next estimate to be lower
3 days ago

Mace to close construction logistics arm

Specialist business being wound down
3 days ago

National Grid to invest £35bn over next five years

Plan set out for record investment in electricity transmission infrastructure
3 days ago

Profits double at Barhale

Civils specialist sees order book top £1bn
3 days ago

Balfour wins 68km HV underground power cable deal

Main works to start next year on Eastern Green Link 2 job
3 days ago

Stunning site wrap unveiled on Sloane Street

Hoarding creates illusion of fully formed façade on £53m Galliford Try job
3 days ago

Heathrow Airport upgrade spend takes off again

Airport operator will spend £2.3bn over the next two years
3 days ago

Government buys back over 36,000 military homes

Public ownership deal to release wave of upgrade and new build work
4 days ago

Story Contracting staff braced for rail job losses

Work coming through slower than expected from Network Rail
4 days ago

Ballymore submits two plans for 3,700 East London homes

Construction could start in 2025 on Thames Road and Knights Road schemes
4 days ago

Blackpool council steps in on failed developer’s £300m scheme

Blackpool Central site clearance to start in the New Year as hunt starts for new developer
4 days ago

Brookfield submits retro-first London office plan

Milton Gate plan for Square Mile will hike space by nearly 50%
4 days ago

Bowmer + Kirkland gets start date for £100m Siemens site

Construction to begin early next year on Chippenham scheme
4 days ago

Torsion sells under-construction Leeds BTR scheme

Concrete frame due to start soon on 300-apartment complex
4 days ago

Contractor services