8th
Oct 2014
This week's Liberal Democrats Party Conference 2014, has highlighted their highly ambitious plans to increase new builds to 300,000 new homes every year.
The motion was proposed by Party President Tim Farron and the Bath MP, Don Foster, gave his full backing.
Don Foster MP said: “It is important that up to 300,000 homes per year are built if we are to tackle the problem of under supply and also to stop housing costs from getting out of the reach of ordinary families. These plans are ambitious, but achievable.”
Other reforms the party would like to introduce would be to give more powers to planning authorities to designate New Home Zones. Part of their remit would be to make sure of building quality affordable homes, to deliver large numbers of apprenticeships to create a workforce needed to make these projects happen.
The policy motion which was passed, fully supports Nick Clegg's previous calling for the building of up to ten major garden cities, in an effort to stem the flow of the spiralling housing shortage.
Liberal Democrat Party President Tim Farron, added: “We need good quality homes in well planned communities. We need a long term strategy to build ourselves out of a housing crisis without building ourselves into a social crisis. That is exactly what we are going to do and why we are committed to the 300,000 target. It is integral to building a stronger economy and a fairer society where there is opportunity for everyone.
“Today we have set out the policies that will help deliver that target- for example enabling planning authorities to designate New Home Zones to build good quality, affordable homes in communities with the infrastructure and green spaces which people value.
“Successive Tory and Labour governments failed to grapple with homebuilding over the last decades. Neither can be trusted to deliver the reforms we need to ensure that enough new homes are built."
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has voiced its concerns over whether this can be achieved, unless the party has a robust pro-SME housing strategy.
Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: "The Lib Dem’s 300,000 new homes target is the most ambitious yet. If we are to reach anywhere near that level of house building, we would finally be keeping pace with the demand for housing while also starting to address the backlog. Sadly, this hasn't happened for several decades. The last time we built over 200,000 new homes was in 1988.
"The introduction of 15 year local plans would help, but more importantly still, the Lib Dems must reinvigorate the SME house building sector through greater access to small sites and improved access to finance."
Berry concluded by saying: "The intension to create at least ten new garden cities could help increase housing delivery, but it is crucial that the procurement processes for these projects do not shut out SMEs. A balanced and diverse house building industry, which can attract more small firms back into the sector, is essential for a sustainable industry that can develop what is required over the next 15 years and beyond."
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