Tories attack govt housing plan
Monday, 1 October 2007 12:00 AM
The Conservatives today attacked the government for imposing top down targets for house building - and then for failing to meet these targets.
Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps said the Conservatives would be able to build more houses, but he insisted they would only do so with the support of local communities.
Mr Shapps has been singled out as a Nimby by housing secretary Yvette Cooper for blocking the development of new houses in his Welwyn constituency.
Speaking at the Conservative conference today, Mr Shapps agreed there was a need for more homes but argued Whitehall targets which pay little attention to local infrastructure are not the answer.
He said: "The truth is this government sees ordinary people as an irritant, local communities as a problem and their grand Whitehall masterplan as the solution."
He argued the planning system be reformed to incentivise local communities to support new developments, removing the need for government-led targets.
The shadow housing minister has in the past been attacked for claiming you cannot build your way out of the housing crisis. Today, he attempted to balance the need for new homes with the concerns of constituents opposed to new developments.
Mr Shapps recognised local residents can have "very real concerns" with new housing plans, but argued with the right targets they would support new builds.
He attacked the government's record on housing, which was singled out as an early priority by Gordon Brown.
Under Labour homeownership has fallen for the first time while the government has been unable to meet its targets for new building, he told delegates in Blackpool.
The government has "no chance" of meeting is new ambitious targets for three million new homes, he claimed.
Speaking as part of the public services debate, Mr Shapps vowed to scrap the government's density targets, which critics claim force developers to build overly small homes which are not suitable for families.
He also promised to protect the greenbelt, and ensure gardens cannot be counted as brownfield sites prime for development.
As the Conservatives attempt to narrow Gordon Brown's poll lead by focusing on tax and personal finance, Mr Shapps confirmed the Tories would abolish stamp duty for all first-time buyers on properties up to £250,000, leaving nine in ten exempt.
He also promised to give social housing tenants a share in their home's equity after five years of good behaviour.
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