Chancellor Rachel Reeves has today revealed Labour’s plans to reform thehousing market moving including a ban on Section 21 evictions, looser rules on green belt building and new new homes targets for local authorities.
During an official and wide-ranging speech at HM Treasury to business leaders and investors, Reeves attempted to establish her credentials and reassure the business community, saying “growth was now our national mission” and that Labour had “no time to lose”.
The speech outlined how she and housing secretary Angela Rayner would review greenbelt boundaries but also prioritise brownfield and ‘greybelt’ sites “to meet housing targets where needed”.
“And our golden rules will make sure the development this frees up will allow us to deliver thousands of the affordable homes too, including more for social rent,” she said.
But Reeves also said she wanted to see Section 21 evictions banned, saying that: "For those in the private rented sector we will finally get rid of 'no fault' evictions to help those not fortunate enough to either own their own home or have access to social housing".
Reeves also confirmed that Labour will reform the National Planning Policy Framework and consult this month on a new growth-focused approach to planning which, as previously revealed, will include re-imposing mandatory housing targets for local authorities.
This will be no picnic. In the face of resistance from rural and suburban Tory MPs, attempts by previous Conservative governments including most famously Boris Johnson’s to impose mandatory targets were soon watered down or abandoned.
Reeves also had several other announcements up her sleeve, saying that: “We will create a new taskforce to accelerate stalled housing sites in our county - beginning with Liverpool Central Docks, Worcester Parkway, Northstowe and Langley Sutton Coldfield, [which together] represent more than 14,000 homes.
“Also, we will also support local authorities with 300 additional planning officers across the country.”
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