Sir Keir Starmer pledged the build of new towns and Georgian style homes at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this week, promising a ‘big build’ in their decade of renewal plans.
Labour pledge to build Georgian-style townhouses in urban areas as well as a string of new towns, with this “new generation” of large towns and suburbs linked to areas of high growth.
Claire Petricca-Riding, Head of Planning & Environment at Irwin Mitchell commented:
“What the country needs is a vision, a strategy showing a new direction after the cancelling of HS2 or what some have described as ‘cancelling the future’. What Labour says it will provide is the framework to build a new Britain and at the heart of it will be the increase in housing – providing a safe home for all generations – to get Britain building over the next decade – a decade of national renewal.
The plan? To create 1.5 million homes over the next Parliament – to buy or rent – with communities having a say on how these homes should be delivered.”
A six-month consultation will be conducted to identify suitable areas and sites for the build of new towns which have the potential for high economic growth as well as areas with an unmet housing need.
Labour state that developers will be issued with planning passports, to enable developers to build on brownfield land if they meet the new design standards. Guidance will highlight a focus on “gentle urban development” which will emulate five-storey townhouses built during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sir Keir Starmer is promising “a big build” which will also allow low-quality green belt made up of areas such as scrubland and car parks to be released for development. The labour party has branded these areas “grey belt” and specify that half of homes built on these areas are to be sold at affordable prices.
Jonathan Rolande, Spokesperson for National Association Of Property Buyers, said:
“Last week the housing crisis was barely mentioned at the Tory Conference, despite it being one of the most pressing issues the country faces, although in fairness it is a long list. Fast forward to this week and the story could not be more different. Keir Starmer spoke about housing and delivered a clear plan to address the country’s housing crisis.”
CPRE Chief Executive Roger Mortlock stated:
“There is lots to welcome in Labour’s brownfield-first approach and densification of our towns and cities. The Labour Leader is right to highlight that un-adopted Local Plans are leading to speculative, unsustainable development which are ‘potholing’ the Green Belt and our countryside.
Brownfield land can provide room for 1.2 million new homes and before we start thinking about a new generation of New Towns, we need to make sure we’ve exhausted the un-tapped potential of brownfield land.”
Sir Keir Starmer pledges Labour would “get Britain building” in his ten-year plan with state-backed companies with compulsory purchase powers. As well as a cap on what landowners can charge so it frees up cash for local amenities. Schools, transport links, doctors’ surgeries and other crucial infrastructure are hardwired into these plans.
Claire continued:
“This will mean a new generation of new towns near cities and the release of land in the not so green – all the shades of grey – green belt as well as providing additional powers to local authorities and establishing a new presumption in favour of development or a ‘planning passport’ on brownfield; as long as design principles are met.
This will be welcome news to a sector where the last year of uncertainty, raising inflation and interest rates as well as the near collapse of local plans means that planning applications for housing developments have fallen to a record low.”
