Government's inner-city housebuilding plan sparks doubt and Labour Party criticism

UK Government Prioritizes Inner-City Housebuilding to Tackle Housing Crisis

The UK government has unveiled plans to prioritize housebuilding in inner-city areas as a response to the housing crisis. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has pledged to focus on urban areas, showing support for those struggling to enter the property market. Housing Secretary Michael Gove will outline changes to help homeowners extend their properties and streamline the planning process. A new team of planners and experts will be established to unblock major housing developments. The government remains confident that its target of building 1 million homes by the end of the parliament will be achieved. The development of a new urban quarter in Cambridge takes precedence, offering space for homes, art facilities, laboratories, and green areas.

Critics Doubt Impact of Government's Plans on Housing Supply

Critics argue that the government's plans will not have a significant impact on housing supply. Stuart Baillie, planning expert at property firm Knight Frank, believes that the policy will only create hundreds of new homes instead of the thousands needed. He argues that the UK's planning system is overburdened and under-resourced, and that locating developments in town centers would compromise residential amenity. A cross-party committee recently ruled that ministers are unlikely to meet the government's target of building 300,000 new homes per year. The target was made advisory rather than mandatory by Sunak last year. Clive Betts, chair of the levelling up, housing, and communities select committee, warns that the prime minister's decision is already having a damaging impact on efforts to increase housing construction.

Additional Measures to Boost Housebuilding and Labour Party's Criticism

In addition to the focus on inner-city housebuilding, Gove plans to cut red tape to make it easier for homeowners to extend their properties and for shops and takeaways to be converted into homes. The proposals aim to make better use of existing buildings and rejuvenate high streets. Gove also intends to create development corporations in cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool, which will have the power to use compulsory purchase orders to buy land and sell it to developers for new homes. The government's plans have drawn criticism from the Labour Party, with shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy calling them insufficient to address the scale of the housing shortage. Labour has announced its own plans to reform the planning system and restore housing targets if elected to power.