Simon Clarke promises housing plan within weeks but says he wont 鈥榠mpose cardboard boxes across our shires鈥�
Housing secretary Simon Clarke has pledged to 鈥済o further鈥� to build the homes needed in the UK, using his set-piece party conference speech to help get people onto the housing ladder.
But the newly appointed secretary of state announced no new initiatives designed to meet that ambition, promising instead to unveil more detail on the government鈥檚 housing strategy in the 鈥渃oming weeks鈥�.
His commitment to building more homes came despite new PM Liz Truss pledging to abolish 鈥淪talinist鈥� local housing targets, something which planners and housebuilders fear will see local authorities drastically reduce the number of homes they are planning for.
It also comes as his department was this week unable to confirm whether the government is still committed to the 2019 manifesto pledge to build 300,000 homes a year.
Clarke said in his speech on the main stage of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham that he wanted to 鈥渞eassure those hoping to get on the housing ladder, that you remain at the heart of our agenda for Government鈥�.
He said that while the 鈥淚nvestment Zones鈥� announced in the chancellor鈥檚 mini budget 鈥渨ill help deliver many of the homes that we need鈥� and added that 鈥渨e must go further鈥�.
The chancellor鈥檚 Growth Plan included a promise of the publication of a 鈥渧ision to unlock homeownership for a new generation鈥� at some point 鈥渓ater this autumn鈥�.
Clarke said: 鈥淚n the coming weeks I will be fleshing out how we intend to get more homes on the market, and improve access to those homes.
鈥淭his will build on the work of both this government鈥檚 recent measures to lift the worst of the Stamp Duty burden, and of previous Conservative administrations, which is paying dividends in the form of record numbers of homes being built today.鈥�
He said he wanted 鈥渢o build more houses鈥� but do so 鈥渋n the right way鈥�, by 鈥渁ccelerating development of brownfield sites鈥� and 鈥渂uilding beautifully鈥�. He said: 鈥淲e want to grow organic communities, not impose cardboard boxes across our shires. As with investment zones, local consent will sit at the heart of our plans.鈥�
His comments come after figures from the planning system show that quarterly residential planning approvals have already fallen to their lowest level for 10 years, with many departments struggling with resources and a number pulling local plans or unable to make decisions due to the nutrient neutrality crisis.
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