Local Housing Need Assessment Reform

Reflected positively on a reform by Middlesbrough's local authority prioritising veterans for social housing.

Andrew George agrees with John Milne's point that the standard method is based on a false premise and does not work as intended, as it fails to deliver affordable homes. Acknowledged the need for a needs assessment and criticized the current methodology used, suggesting targets should reduce housing need rather than just focusing on building more homes.

Congratulated the hon. Member for Horsham on securing the debate and discussed the realism of housing targets.

Discussed the challenges faced by Harlow in providing social housing and highlighted issues with rent increases and reliance on private sector renting.

Acknowledges the Government's initiative to increase housing completions but highlights discrepancies in rural versus urban areas. Calls for a review of the affordability ratio formula as it is not delivering sustainable increases in housing stock.

Described housing challenges in West Dorset, including the need for affordable homes and infrastructure to support development.

Ms Brown-Fuller highlights that in her constituency of Chichester, the average house price is £454,000 and the average salary is under £30,000. She criticises the standard method for assessing housing need, which imposes arbitrary national targets on local authorities without considering specific needs or constraints.

Discussed the importance of water company involvement in planning and highlighted high house prices in his constituency, noting the need for social housing.

Called for changes to the standard method and Planning and Infrastructure Bill to better address national housing needs.

Asked whether the hon. Member for East Lothian was against incentives such as stamp duty discounts for first-time buyers, which helped around 640,000 young people get on to the housing ladder. Corrects the record by pointing out that during the previous Conservative government, there was an average of 207,000 net new home additions annually. The Government's two-tier housing targets are unfair and unrealistic. Rural areas face an average of a 71% increase in housing targets, while urban areas see only a 15.6% increase. This imbalance is exacerbated by the removal of protections against village mergers into towns and greenfield development. Called for a more balanced approach to housing targets, citing challenges such as building safety regulations, skills shortages, and SME participation.

Commended the Government on changing local connection rules for veterans accessing social housing.

Agreed with the hon. Member for East Lothian that incremental building contributes to problems with sewerage systems due to insufficient infrastructure provision in rural areas. Supported housing targets but emphasized the importance of community involvement in development decisions. Criticized previous Conservative Governments for failing to meet housing needs and called for a commitment to social house building targets.

Defended the government's revised housing development method, stating it aligns with a target of 1.5 million new homes and is crucial for local planning.