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Affordable Housing: Planning Reform — [Dr Rupa Huq in the Chair]

07 December 2021

Lead MP

Derek Thomas
St Ives
Con

Responding Minister

Christopher Pincher

Tags

HousingClimateLocal Government
Word Count: 13774
Other Contributors: 10

At a Glance

Derek Thomas raised concerns about affordable housing: planning reform — [dr rupa huq in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

The Government should introduce measures to speed up housing delivery, such as paying social landlords and developers based on results rather than lengthy processes. Additionally, consider offering local authorities the opportunity to restrict new building to primary residence only, re-emphasise commitment to home ownership, incentivize landlords to sell properties to tenants with tax benefits, and introduce a licensing scheme for holiday lets.

How the Debate Unfolded

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

Lead Contributor

St Ives
Opened the debate
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly face a severe housing situation that requires urgent intervention. The MP highlighted the difficulties faced by residents in acquiring affordable homes due to issues like second home ownership, holiday lets, and soaring rents. He noted that searches for homes to buy in Cornwall topped 15 million in the first quarter of 2021, while searches for rentals reached 1.1 million despite a total population of half a million. Rental prices are extremely high—ranging from £100 per week for a shared one-bedroom house to over £400 per week for a three-bedroom house—with an average wage in the constituency being £25,000 a year. The MP also mentioned that 19 units have planning permission but remain unbuilt and stressed the importance of bringing long-term empty homes back into use.

Government Response

Christopher Pincher
Government Response
Summarised the debate, acknowledged various points raised by MPs, including the importance of building more homes, council tax discretion for local authorities on second homes, and the role of developer contributions in affordable housing. Mentioned £1.8 billion funding for brownfield remediation and the introduction of an infrastructure levy to ensure timely delivery of necessary infrastructure. Highlighted the government's commitment to net zero carbon emissions through the future homes standard in 2025.
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy

About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.