Property: Will Labour’s New Build Strategy Devastate Green Belt?
Labour’s ‘new build’ property strategy
How many new builds are planned?
Labour is committed to delivering 1.5m new homes over the next five years – “Building the biggest wave of social and affordable housing for a generation”, said Angela Raynor, the Labour Government’s Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Gone are the days of council-paid-for building schemes. In 2023 under the Conservatives, 189,260 new build properties were built and completed. Of these, only 4,120 (2%) were built by councils in the UK, 41,430 (22%) by housing associations and the remainder, 143,720 (76%) were built by private and corporate developers.
Labour’s new target sees 300,000 new build properties
to be built every year for the next five years.
A lack of affordable housing
With £1.3m households on a waiting list for council homes and soaring landlord rents, growth of the population and high-rate mortgages, the need for affordable housing has never been greater.
The increases in energy and utility bills that homeowners have had to endure over the past few years caused by government-imposed austerity also makes owning a new home much more attractive - new builds must meet the new eco-building regulations brought in by the Conservatives in 2022:
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CO2 emissions from new build homes must be 30% lower than current standards – they are greener homes
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New Build developers install low carbon technology such as solar panels and heat pumps, making heating new homes more affordable and net zero ready – they are therefore cheaper to heat, and energy bills are lower.
With a growing population and being able to own or rent (affordably), delivering many more new homes is now a national critical imperative.
Will Greenbelt land be built on?
Labour vows to make Brownfield development their first priority and make sure that a Green Belt established in the middle of the 20th century works properly for the 21st.
Under Labour, Green Belt protected zones will be built on – well, parts of the less attractive green-belt will be, Labour has now identified specific new areas called ‘Grey-Belt’ that can be built on. This will be in addition to local building plans, which will offer new homes that will be connected to local towns with access to local amenities.
Labour commits to deliver a generation of
new large-scale communities.
The government’s updated National Planning Policy Framework
was published on 30th July 2024 setting-out
core considerations for planning.
New build sites in East Midlands
New build construction has been popular in Leicestershire, Leicester and Market Harborough, Davidsons Homes, David Wilson Homes, Ashberry Homes, William Davis, and Persimmon Homes are some of the many large new build developers operating in the East Midlands region. Persimmon Homes this week secured rights to purchase part of the Althorpe Estate in Northamptonshire, with up to 3,000 new homes to be built there.
Is a housing boom a good thing for the economy?
Of course, new building requires bricks, mortar and construction companies who will all benefit from an increase in new sites being built, providing jobs for tradesmen and landscaping specialists for years to come, not to mention property management companies. Technology and build providers will benefit too, as all new homes will require digital broadband and solar panels, not to mention kitchen and bathroom furniture and fitouts. Building new homes sits squarely with Labour’s commitment to improve the UK economy, growth and prosperity and large sites will mean new schools to be built and healthcare surgeries to offer integrated communities. All of this means secured jobs and income.
What can we expect in the next 5 years?
Labour will work with local government to plan new housing in the best possible places, with the supporting infrastructure, public services, and green spaces that residents need.
Labour has said they will cut-through planning red-tape and deliver on their promises.
“Delivering social and affordable houses at scale is not only my No 1 priority to ensure everyone has a secure roof over their head. It is also a crucial step on the path to 1.5m homes, kickstarting the sector out of this slump.” Raynor said.
Lawson West
Our conveyancing team specialises in advising on property home ownership, sale and purchase. Our conveyancers in Leicester and Market Harborough are experienced legal specialists who can advise on freehold and leasehold properties, land ownership and development, new build properties, Buy to Let and Help to Buy. Contact Us.
Notes:
Angela Raynor quoted in The Guardian, July 2024.
National Planning Policy Framework: draft text for consultation (publishing.service.gov.uk)
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