May warned over scale of Yorkshire housing need

Theresa May speaking in Manchester todayTheresa May speaking in Manchester today
Theresa May speaking in Manchester today
THERESA MAY declared she would make solving Britain's homes crisis her 'mission' today but campaigners warned her £2bn pledge for new social housing was a drop in the ocean.

In an incident-marred speech, the Prime Minister made building new homes the centrepiece of her drive to “renew the British dream” for the younger voters who backed Labour in June’s general election.

She announced extra money to fund 25,000 extra affordable homes over the next five years.

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But housing charities pointed to the Government’s own figures which show 140,000 Yorkshire families are stuck on council waiting lists.

Speaking at the end of the Conservative Party conference, in Manchester, Mrs May promised to “dedicate” her premiership to fixing the “broken housing market”.

Highlighting figures which showed the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds owning homes had fallen from 59 to 38 per cent, the Prime Minister said young people were paying the price for decades of failure to build enough houses.

“It won’t be quick or easy, but as Prime Minister I am going to make it my mission to solve this problem.

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“I will take personal charge of the government’s response, and make the British Dream a reality by reigniting home ownership in Britain once again,” she said.

The extra money for affordable housing followed Chancellor Philip Hammond’s promise earlier this week to invest a further £10bn into the Government’s Help to Buy scheme.

Mrs May also fired a warning shot across the bows of Britain’s housebuilders in an apparent criticism of companies securing planning permission on land but failing to build homes.

She said: “We, the government, will make sure the land is available. We’ll make sure our young people have the skills you need.

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“In return, it is time for you to do your duty to Britain and build the homes our country needs.”

Campaign groups welcomed the Government’s support for affordable housing but called for a bigger financial commitment.

Polly Neate, chief executive of the housing charity Shelter, said: “All new money is welcome, but the reality is that with over 1.2 million households on waiting lists already, this is only a fraction of the long-term investment required. It will need to be the start, rather than the end.”

Experts suggest the country needs between 50,000 and 80,000 affordable homes to be built each year.

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A report published by the National Housing Federation earlier this year showed the average price of a house in Yorkshire is now seven times the average wage.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “People on low incomes feel the crippling cost of housing acutely and getting the country building homes for low-cost rent is crucial.

“Analysis of the election result shows voters on low incomes and people who felt their household finances were getting worse were more likely to vote for Labour.

He added: “Now the Prime Minister must press on with a bolder programme to help people who are just about managing.”

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Mrs May also faced called to set out housing plans which tackle the needs of rural areas.

Ross Murray, president of the Country Land and Business Association, said: ““Over six million people live in our rural communities but house prices there are on average 22 per cent higher than in urban areas, fewer homes are available and in English rural areas only eight per cent of homes are classed as affordable.”

Mr Murray said the problem was forcing young families to leave rural communities.

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