Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Housing: North Somerset

03 November 2020 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Liam Fox Con North Somerset

Housing

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Liam Fox raised concerns about housing: north somerset in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • MP Liam Fox raised concerns about the housing crisis in North Somerset, noting a population increase of over 50% since 1971 and the failure to meet annual housing targets.
  • The MP argued against unrealistic housing numbers set by government planning edicts and stressed the need for infrastructure investment to match housing supply.
  • Minister Christopher Pincher acknowledged the concerns and outlined the government's long-term vision in their planning White Paper, focusing on community engagement and developer contributions through an infrastructure levy.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Liam Fox Con North Somerset

MP Liam Fox raised concerns about the housing crisis in North Somerset, noting a population increase of over 50% since 1971 and highlighting that developers have not met annual targets. He argued against unrealistic housing numbers set by government planning edicts and emphasised the need for infrastructure investment to match housing supply. He proposed developing brownfield sites, change of use from offices/shops to dwellings, and rejected North Somerset's obligation to compensate for unmet needs in Bristol. The MP stressed the importance of a realistic methodology linking local demographics with constraints such as green belt areas, flood plains, and protected zones.

Other contributors (1)
  • John Penrose Con Weston-super-Mare

    MP John Penrose supported his colleague's argument, urging the government to consider building more homes in central towns rather than in rural areas. He also suggested that local authorities should have more flexibility in setting development codes for higher density and better-looking buildings.

Government Response

Christopher Pincher

Minister Christopher Pincher acknowledged the concerns raised by MPs regarding housing numbers. He outlined the government's long-term vision in their planning White Paper, emphasising community engagement, fairer contributions from developers through an infrastructure levy, and a focus on affordability. The minister also addressed concerns about geographical imbalances, mentioning stock renewal initiatives for regions like the industrial west midlands and north. Notable commitments include injecting £12.2 billion into house building over five years to build 180,000 new homes, around half of which will be affordable and social rent housing. The minister acknowledged the need for better infrastructure funding through an improved system of levies and expressed willingness to consider feedback on how to improve planning processes.

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