PM says any reform 'must protect our countryside'; Photo: Stephen May/Alamy Stock Photo
Planning laws have had to be relaxed because of the «pressure» immigration puts on housing affordability, the minister said.
Lee Rowley, the Housing Secretary said the Tories «cannot separate» the debate over the shortage of new homes from the need to reduce migration levels.
Writing in The Telegraph, he admitted that talk of easing building restrictions was «often a very difficult topic in many communities».
He made the announcement after Rishi Sunak unveiled plans to force Britain's 20 largest cities to build hundreds of thousands more homes on brownfield sites.
The Prime Minister said the reforms would “protect our precious countryside” while ensuring an influx of young people. families can climb the career ladder.
Under the proposals, more derelict commercial buildings, such as former offices and department stores, would be converted into apartments.
Ministers also announced proposals to relax the rules to allow homeowners to build larger extensions without the need for planning permission.
Mr Rowley, MP for North East Derbyshire, said: “I know planning is often very difficult. a difficult topic for many communities.
“I also know that we cannot separate the discussion of this issue from other policy areas. Housing pressure is being driven by population growth, so the Prime Minister is absolutely right to focus on reducing both illegal and legal immigration.
'At the same time, it is absolutely important that we build more homes for the next generation.'
London mayor 'incompetent'
Mr Rowley slammed Sadiq Khan, saying his 'ineptitude' in London showed that Labor will fail to deliver on its housing promises.
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “deflate” local opposition so he can deliver on a pledge to build 1.5 million new homes in five years.
The Tories accused the Labor leader of planning to «concrete the countryside» with his proposals to weaken green belt protections.
Instead they plan to build more housing in towns «where there is the highest demand and existing infrastructure to support new development».
Mr Rowley said: “Our capital is a perfect example of how, due to the incompetence of the Mayor of London, building houses is not supporting the dreams of young people.”
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Lee Rowley, the housing minister, says the housing crisis cannot be separated from the immigration crisis. Photo: Jamie Lorriman
“Sadiq Khan is an absolute master at saying one thing and doing another, and the truth is that he constantly fails.
He said the mayor's «intervention» meant just 35,000 new homes were built last year, which was a «tragedy for those who need to get on the housing ladder».
«If you want an example of Labor in action, look at Khan's year-on-year failure on housing,» Mr Rowley added.
«Whereas the Conservatives offer practical solutions to tackle long-term and difficult problems, Labor promises the world but delivers little when it actually has the ability to put policies into action.”
Housing will be a major battleground at the next election, with Labor blaming the Tories for ruining the ambition generation towards owning their own home.
Meanwhile, Mr Sunak will accuse Sir Keir of threatening to concrete over the countryside in his plans to overcome local objections to new developments.
Brownfield first: opening up home ownership to the next generation
Lee Rowley, Housing Secretary
Our country needs more houses, but they definitely need to be in the right places. Too often, as an MP and minister, I have seen the understandable frustration of communities when houses are built in the wrong place and lack the infrastructure needed to support them. This needs to change.
Our mission as Conservatives is to free people by giving them the opportunity to own their own home. This dream is fundamental to enabling the next generation to build their lives, their future and their capital for the long term.
So our key focus is to open up home ownership to the next generation — which is exactly what our Long Term Housing Plan does. After 20 years of decline, progress has already been made: the proportion of young people joining the housing ladder is starting to rise again. And now we need to combine the need to build more houses with the absolute requirement to build them in the right places.
So today we are announcing our next steps to make this a reality. And we are very clear: we need to build more on brownfield [sites] in the hearts of our cities. In 2020, we shifted the majority of future housing needs to large urban areas — those cities that already have generally good infrastructure, such as transport links, that can accommodate more people. At a time when some primary schools are at risk of closure in places like Hackney, we need to ensure more properties are built in places like London to ensure this vital infrastructure is used properly.
Our capital is a perfect example of how, due to the incompetence of the Mayor of London, building houses is not supporting the dreams of young people. Sadiq Khan is an absolute master at saying one thing and doing another, and the truth is that he has consistently failed to deliver new homes in London for years. A combination of unrealistic demands and mayoral intervention has meant that construction has fallen to just 35,000 new homes over the past year; a tragedy both for those who need to get on the housing ladder and for ensuring that the capital's good infrastructure is used to maximum effect. If you want an example of Labor in action, look no further than Khan's year-on-year failure on housing.
We're going to change that. Brownfield rules will be changed in our 20 largest urban areas, so that where housing production is too low, we will introduce a presumption that brownfield land can be developed. This should make development easier and help transform neighborhoods with beautiful new homes.
Focus on immigration
Having served as an MP for six years, I know that planning is often a very difficult topic in many communities. I also know that we cannot separate the discussion of this issue from other policy areas; Housing pressure is being driven by population growth, so the Prime Minister is absolutely right to focus on reducing both illegal and legal immigration. At the same time, it is absolutely important that we build more homes for the next generation.
And since 2010 our performance has been good; Another 2.5 million homes help people build their future every day. Our even sharper focus on brownfields will allow us to build more and, crucially, build housing in the right places. In doing so, we highlight the real difference between the government and the opposition. While the Conservatives offer practical solutions to solve long-term and difficult problems, Labor promises the world but delivers little, even though it actually has the ability to put policies into action.
Only last year they voted against measures that would have unlocked 100,000 extra homes. Our long-term housing plan will be achieved by increasing the number of existing developments; Labor will only return us to square one.
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