Labour has plans to restructure the UK housing market by encouraging more construction and its intentions are made clear today by the Shadow Housing Minister. This is the latest in a series of proposals by the Labour Party aimed at addressing what it terms "the cost of living crisis".
Emma Reynolds, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, will say today that “The housing shortage is central to the cost of living crisis that Ed Miliband and the Labour Party have been talking about for months now.”
“It is putting at risk what Ed Miliband has called the promise of Britain. A promise that each generation will pass to the next a life of greater opportunity, prosperity and wellbeing.”
“For previous generations, owning a secure and affordable home was an ambition that was within reach and home ownership became widespread.”
“But for many young people of this generation, and for the next generation that follows, owning your own home is now an ambition that is out of reach even if you work hard and have a decent job.”
“This is not sustainable.”
“The Government has presided over the lowest levels of house building in peacetime since the 1920s.”
“It is clear that the Government is in denial both about the scale of the housing crisis and its own failure to tackle it.” On the broken housing market she will say:
“As currently structured, our country’s building sector has a broken gear stick.”
“When the time comes to shift up a gear our housebuilding industry is found wanting.”
“Over the past 30 years we have been consistently out-built by our international competitors.”
“France has a similar population but is building three times as many homes. Canada has half our population but is out-building us by two to one. Japan has twice our population but is building ten times as many homes—building over 90,000 homes in November alone.
“There is no single reason for this but one of the key factors is that our building sector has become less competitive and this has had serious consequences.”
“To achieve our ambition of doubling housebuilding and then going further to meet need—we need a thriving building sector. That means our big volume housebuilders have an essential role to play.”
“However, we must introduce greater competition and diversity if we are to increase output, driving innovation and improving quality.”
“Building those extra homes could bring up to 230,000 jobs to our construction industry and I want to see many of those jobs created by small and medium sized builders.”
“Custom Build gives power to aspiring buyers and allows a local approach to planning helping to increase design quality and reduce community objections to new homes.”
“Custom build doesn’t mean building the whole home yourself, it can be like choosing a kitchen.”
“In a new scheme in Lewisham, the local Labour council is running a custom build scheme that allows the residents to choose the design, select the contractors and specify individual requirements.”
“While in Labour run Oldham, the council has bought and cleared the land for a custom build scheme that will deliver homes at 20% less than market value.”
“We know that one of the key barriers for small and custom builders is access to land.”
“That’s why I am announcing today “Build First”—a package of measures to assemble an army of smaller firms and custom builders to tackle the housing shortage and help the next generation on to the property ladder.”
“So I can announce today that the next Labour Government will require Local Authorities to include a higher proportion of small sites in their five year land supply.”
“Second, we will give guaranteed access to public land to smaller firms and custom builders.”
“And we will ensure that any public land given over for housebuilding will have a proportion dedicated for this purpose.
“In addition, we have affirmed our commitment to building a new generation of New Towns and Garden Cities.”
“Ed Balls has outlined the backing of a Labour Treasury and has committed to providing financial guarantees for New Towns and Garden Cities.”
“But today I can also commit that a proportion of the homes built in these new settlements will be built by smaller firms and custom builders.”
“It is also right that where communities want to expand and build the homes for their children and grandchildren, they should know where land in their local area is available.”
“So we will increase transparency in the land market by ensuring that developers register the land they own or have options on.”
Emma Reynolds, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, will say today that “The housing shortage is central to the cost of living crisis that Ed Miliband and the Labour Party have been talking about for months now.”
“It is putting at risk what Ed Miliband has called the promise of Britain. A promise that each generation will pass to the next a life of greater opportunity, prosperity and wellbeing.”
“For previous generations, owning a secure and affordable home was an ambition that was within reach and home ownership became widespread.”
“But for many young people of this generation, and for the next generation that follows, owning your own home is now an ambition that is out of reach even if you work hard and have a decent job.”
“This is not sustainable.”
“The Government has presided over the lowest levels of house building in peacetime since the 1920s.”
“It is clear that the Government is in denial both about the scale of the housing crisis and its own failure to tackle it.” On the broken housing market she will say:
“As currently structured, our country’s building sector has a broken gear stick.”
“When the time comes to shift up a gear our housebuilding industry is found wanting.”
“Over the past 30 years we have been consistently out-built by our international competitors.”
“France has a similar population but is building three times as many homes. Canada has half our population but is out-building us by two to one. Japan has twice our population but is building ten times as many homes—building over 90,000 homes in November alone.
“There is no single reason for this but one of the key factors is that our building sector has become less competitive and this has had serious consequences.”
“To achieve our ambition of doubling housebuilding and then going further to meet need—we need a thriving building sector. That means our big volume housebuilders have an essential role to play.”
“However, we must introduce greater competition and diversity if we are to increase output, driving innovation and improving quality.”
“Building those extra homes could bring up to 230,000 jobs to our construction industry and I want to see many of those jobs created by small and medium sized builders.”
“Custom Build gives power to aspiring buyers and allows a local approach to planning helping to increase design quality and reduce community objections to new homes.”
“Custom build doesn’t mean building the whole home yourself, it can be like choosing a kitchen.”
“In a new scheme in Lewisham, the local Labour council is running a custom build scheme that allows the residents to choose the design, select the contractors and specify individual requirements.”
“While in Labour run Oldham, the council has bought and cleared the land for a custom build scheme that will deliver homes at 20% less than market value.”
“We know that one of the key barriers for small and custom builders is access to land.”
“That’s why I am announcing today “Build First”—a package of measures to assemble an army of smaller firms and custom builders to tackle the housing shortage and help the next generation on to the property ladder.”
“So I can announce today that the next Labour Government will require Local Authorities to include a higher proportion of small sites in their five year land supply.”
“Second, we will give guaranteed access to public land to smaller firms and custom builders.”
“And we will ensure that any public land given over for housebuilding will have a proportion dedicated for this purpose.
“In addition, we have affirmed our commitment to building a new generation of New Towns and Garden Cities.”
“Ed Balls has outlined the backing of a Labour Treasury and has committed to providing financial guarantees for New Towns and Garden Cities.”
“But today I can also commit that a proportion of the homes built in these new settlements will be built by smaller firms and custom builders.”
“It is also right that where communities want to expand and build the homes for their children and grandchildren, they should know where land in their local area is available.”
“So we will increase transparency in the land market by ensuring that developers register the land they own or have options on.”
