Housing polices & plans: the story so far



Sunday, 9th June 2024

Frontier Public Relations: Ahead of the major UK political parties launching their election manifestos this week, here is a brief recap of where each party stands on housing so far.

Conservative

  • Commitment to build more homes, with planning reform "high on the agenda."

  • Set a target to build 300,000 houses a year by the mid-2020s, but backtracked on this.

  • A Renters (Reform) Bill initially proposed scrapping section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, introducing new grounds for eviction for landlords who want to sell their properties or move back in, and making it illegal for landlords to refuse to rent homes to people who receive benefits or have children.

  • A watered-down Renters Reform Bill was shelved following the dissolution of parliament.

  • Plans to scrap ground rent for existing leaseholders or to cap it at £250 were dropped.

  • A new Leasehold and Freehold Act would have made it cheaper and easier for people to extend their leases, buy their freehold, or take over management of their building.

Labour

  • 1.5 million new homes in the first 5 year.

  • Brownfield land must be prioritised for development within the green belt.

  • Poor-quality and ugly areas of the green belt, referred to as the “grey belt”, should be clearly prioritised over biodiverse green belt.

  • At least 50% affordable housing delivery when land is released.

  • Plans must boost public services and local infrastructure, meaning more school and nursery places, new health centres and GP appointments. 

  • Plans should improve existing green spaces and meet high environmental standards.

Liberal Democrats

  • 150,000 new homes a year by end of next parliament.

  • New powers for local authorities to build their own social and affordable housing.

  • A ten-year emergency programme to insulate Britain’s homes.

  • New standards to ensure new homes are energy and carbon efficient. 

  • Ensuring developers build the infrastructure needed for new housing.

  • Abolish leaseholds for homes and make ground rents nominal.

  • Longer default tenancies, rent smoothing over a tenancy and banning no fault evictions.

  • New powers for councils to control second homes and holiday lets.

  • Expansion of neighbourhood planning, more democratic engagement in Local Plans, reforming the Land Compensation Act to ensure that land can be bought at a fair price.

  • Build 10 new garden cities.

Plaid Cymru

  • Reform the planning system to prevent the creation of poor-quality private new builds that fail to provide affordable housing.

  • Replace the Local Development Plan framework with a planning system that will blend social and private housing, supported by public services and infrastructure.

  • Housing developments must contain at least 50% affordable housing.

  • Give the Welsh Government powers to acquire land and provide housing, both directly and in conjunction with local authorities, housing associations and the private sector.

  • Allow local authorities to meet local housing needs by including more social housing and filling empty homes.

  • Develop affordable housing through small housing co-operatives and the charitable bond model.

SNP

  • The Scottish Government’s Rural Housing Fund commits £25 million over the next three years to build new, affordable homes in rural Scotland, and the Islands Housing Fund provides £5 million ring-fenced for islands housing projects.

  • Investment in replacing winter night shelters with new rapid-rehousing welcome centres to provide short term emergency accommodation for the homeless.

  • Use welcome centres to help people into accommodation including through Housing First.

  • Wrap-around support for people with complex needs to support to maintain tenancies.

  • Introduction of a national programme to increase housing choices for those facing homelessness.

  • The introduction of legislation that strengthens people’s housing rights and ensure public bodies have a duty to prevent homelessness.

Frontier PR is a housing and smart city specialist - to get in touch email david@frontierpr.co.uk or call 07939 137 098 - or download Frontier PR’s latest brochure for social housing below.


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