Labour leaders tell conference delegates that planning system will be bulldozed
The construction industry has stated that smaller housebuilders, or SMEs, should be utilised to build 1.5 million new homes within the next five years if Labour is elected.
Keir Starmer, the labour and opposition leader in the UK, told delegates of the party conference that they were set to tear down the planning system and utilise development corporations in building new towns all across England.
SMEs and developing new homes
Starmer asserted that the restrictive planning system had been an obstacle to those who deserved to have the security of homeownership. He also stated that the planning system had possibly stopped the country from the construction of more roads, grid connections, laboratories, train lines, warehouses, windfarms, and also power stations.
In support of this statement, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), a UK trade association, backed Starmer’s announcements regarding new settlements to promote regional growth. However, they stated that local builders should be a part of this process.
“By bringing SMEs on board with new town development this will ensure high quality and diverse housing is delivered, while also creating wider benefits, like vocational skills opportunities,” said Brian Berry, chief executive of FMB.
The National Federation of Builders (NFB), another trade association, also agreed with the sentiments and stated that development corporations were perfect to deliver such quality. The organisation said that they also wanted larger sights where 100 or more homes will be planned and subdivided by 20 to 30 builders.
Green Belt and building
Starmer also talked about challenging the usage of Green Belt, a policy that controls urban growth by keeping lands permanently open without an immediate right of access, in certain circumstances in order to instigate building within Britain again.
“Where there are clearly ridiculous uses of it, disused car parks, dreary wasteland. Not a Green Belt. A grey belt. Sometimes with a city’s boundary - then this cannot be justified as a reason to hold our future back,” Starmer stated.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), a global association concerned with land, property, and construction, along with the building industry, supported Starmer’s pledge regarding the reformation of local planning laws so that it would be easier to develop lands.
RICS also called for an evidence-led review regarding the Green Belt, looking into previously developed (brownfield) and eventually abandoned (greyfield) sites.
“It’s encouraging that Labour is tackling the emotive issue of the Green Belt, with the so-called ‘grey belt’ which has restricted sensible and sustainable development for too long,” said Berry.
“We need to assess the Green Belt. It is supposed to stop urban sprawl, not just any green area you want to protect,” said Rico Wojtulewicz, housing and planning head, NFB.
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