Gove: 150,000 new homes in Cambridge will 'help us love the future again'

Michael Gove details proposed changes to planning laws at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Michael Gove has unveiled plans to build 150,000 new homes in Cambridge, which he says will help Britain «love the future again».

Levelling Secretary announces significant expansion of the university city as it tightened restrictions. rules prohibiting construction in the green belt.

In his speech, he said Cambridge was a «tremendous national asset» but «its growth is constrained» by a severe housing shortage.

On Tuesday Gove introduced changes to planning laws that would mean councils would no longer be able to Green Belt land would have to be set aside for development, but at the same time he announced that Cambridge would quadruple in size in a huge development project over two decades.

Addressing the Royal Institute of British Architects, he said: “Our vision for Cambridge was to show what it means to fall in love with the future again. It will set the standard for how we protect and preserve what makes the city special, and how we design and equip it for the next century.»

The Housing Minister announced that a development corporation would be created to oversee the project, which would be backed by taxpayers' money.

He also criticized Sadiq Khan for not giving the green light to enough new homes and ordered conduct a review of housing development in London. In a letter to the capital's mayor, he said: «If you can't do what is necessary to deliver the homes London needs, I will.»

Mr Gove said he would name and shame councils that block housing development by publishing a rating of their performance.

But he has come under attack over his changes to planning policy which will mean councils will no longer have to use the color green. belts of land to achieve local targets.

The Federation of Home Builders said removing the requirement would be “extremely detrimental to the construction of new homes”.

It said other parts of the plan to stimulate construction were little more than “threats that will make no difference in the short term”, adding: “We are already seeing planning permission for houses and planning. levels are falling as a direct result of the government's approach and further falls are now inevitable.»

Mr Gove also admitted his plans to scrap EU rules on river pollution, which have blocked more than 100,000 new homes, have failed. was abandoned. He said EU-era nutrient neutrality rules would not be scrapped this side of the election after Labor voted for a bill to repeal them.