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Housing targets 'extremely challenging' - councils

Joao Santos
Local Democracy Reporting Service
PA Media Picture of houses being built. There are two pitched roof sections, one red and the other brown, with scaffolding in front. A man is at the top of one of the sections wearing a yellow hi-vis jacket. PA Media
Babergh's housing target has gone up by 86%

Politicians from two councils said the government's house-building targets were "extremely challenging" and "completely unrealistic".

Babergh and Mid Suffolk district councils have both urged local communities to have their say on where new houses should go.

The government wants to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliament.

It said all parts of the country "must play their part in ending the housing crisis".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the new housing targets would mean the number of new homes built each year would have to increase by 1,265.

In Babergh, the target rose from 416 to 775 new homes a year, an increase of 86%, and the figure in Mid Suffolk went up from 535 to 734 - a rise of 37%.

Andrew Stringer with short dark hair and beard wearing glasses and looking at the camera. He has a grey jacket, white shirt and green tie with green lanyard. There is a glass-fronted office behind him.
Andrew Stringer (Green Party) from Mid Suffolk District Council described the targets as "extremely challenging"

Andrew Stringer, the cabinet member for planning at Mid Suffolk Council, said: "The government's new housing targets are extremely challenging.

"We want to be clear with our towns and parishes about the scale of this challenge as early as possible, so we can support them to get the best outcomes for their communities."

"Where possible," he added, "it is important towns and parishes have a Neighbourhood Plan, so they can help to shape their own futures."

Babergh District Council Sallie Davies with medium-length blond hair, wearing large earrings and a black and white top. She is smiling at the camera against a neutral background.Babergh District Council
Sallie Davies (Green Party) from Babergh District Council said the target was "completely unreaslistic"

Sallie Davies, Babergh's cabinet member for planning, said: "The government has almost doubled our housing requirement. This is completely unrealistic, but we must now work with communities to plan for the housing growth being asked of us.

"We all want good quality, truly affordable homes in sustainable, vibrant communities. We must work together to achieve this."

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said all parts of the country "must play their part in ending the housing crisis, but our ambitious plans to build 1.5 million homes will not come at the expense of the environment or protected green spaces".

"We're committed to maintaining strong protections on agricultural land and we are taking a brownfield-first approach so sites which people are desperate to see used will be developed first."

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