House of Commons · Westminster Hall
07 September 2021 · 4 other contributors · 3,985 words
Opened by David Warburton Con Somerton and Frome
Responding minister: Not recorded
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
David Warburton raised concerns about affordable housing in the south-west in Westminster Hall. Response awaited from government.
Key points
Key requests to Government
I urge the Government to address the housing shortage in rural areas by investing in public land for affordable homes, increasing funding for sustainable home building, and allowing greater flexibility in developers' decisions on property tenures. Additionally, I ask the Minister to work with his colleagues at DEFRA to resolve the phosphorus neutrality issue affecting housing development in Somerset.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
I am concerned about the lack of affordable housing supply in my constituency, particularly for young people. The housing market has been exacerbated by the pandemic with house prices rising by an average of 8.4% over the past year, with some areas seeing a rise of more than 20%. This situation is leading to overcrowding, homelessness, and preventing many from owning their own homes.
Congratulated the hon. Friend on securing a very important debate, expressing concern about an instinctive opposition from MPs to planning applications for new homes and advocating for enthusiasm towards new home provision as Conservatives.
My hon. Friend raises a crucial point about the mismatch between housing demand and supply, suggesting that other measures are needed besides increasing house building. She also highlights the need for planning applications to be seen in the round while preserving the beauty of rural areas.
Thanked the hon. Friend for securing the debate, highlighting issues with second homes in coastal constituencies becoming Airbnbs leading to ghost towns in winters.
Congratulated the hon. Friend on securing the debate, noting an incredible increase in housing demand in the south-west over many years and questioning whether building enough houses to meet this demand is feasible.