AN AWARD-WINNING Bromsgrove developer has urged the new Labour government to take swift action to resolve Britain’s housing crisis.
Sophie Horgan, managing director of the Worcestershire constructor – Horgan Homes – said now was the time for ‘action’. She highlighted Labour’s insistence on reforming planning policy, if elected, ahead of the party’s July 4 landslide victory.
“Throughout the campaign, Labour made all the right noises about housebuilding but committed to very little. They said they would turbocharge the sector and hit the ground running – but didn’t really explain how.”
“Now we need to see action and for this new government to deliver what we need, and what the country needs,” Sophie said.
In her first speech as new chancellor, Rachel Reeves discussed plans for the ‘reform of the national planning policy framework’ which will ‘create a new taskforce to accelerate stalled housing sites’ including the Worcestershire Parkway proposals.
The Worcestershire Parkway development is a potential collaborative project between six developers to build a 10,000 home town on land surrounding the railway station over the next 30 years.
“This is an opportunity for government to give councils the freedom to embrace a different way of doing things – by working with us they can differentiate themselves in a competitive national landscape and support the heritage, economic health and well-being of their communities.
“We have seen too many small housebuilders go under in the last year, thousands of jobs lost or at risk. This is why we need action now,” added Sophie.
Labour plans to support local authorities with 300 new planning officers across the country. The new government added local authorities will need to prioritise brownfield and grey belt land for development.
The party’s plan is to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years. Labour’s full plans for planning policy reform are yet to be announced.
