It’s clear that housing will be a major issue at the next election, as it should be. Large sections of the population continue to be excluded from adequate and secure housing by the high costs of owning and renting. Rising interest rates are squeezing mortgage holders, especially those least able to pay the increased costs of borrowing. The rate of new housebuilding is falling.
Last week the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, announced “a long-term plan” to “build a better Britain”, one with “many more homes” and “in the right places”. Some of his ideas sound good, but on examination his proposals look less like a serious effort to address the huge and complex issues of housing and planning than an attempt to curry favour with voters worried about new development in their back yards.
