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Housing to form part of post-pandemic ‘build, build, build’ plans
Support for housing developments will form part of the government’s economic coronavirus recovery plan, the prime minister has said.
In an interview with The Mail on Sunday prime minister Boris Johnson warned COVID-19 has been a “huge shock” to the country’s economy and said: “We want to build our way back to health.”
“If COVID was a lightning flash, we’re about to have the thunderclap of the economic consequences. We’re going to be ready.”
Mr Johnson told the newspaper that the government will look to support the building of housing developments, road and rail infrastructure projects, schools and hospitals.
In a speech on Tuesday, the prime minister will announce a taskforce named ‘Project Speed’, led by chancellor Rishi Sunak, to speed up the delivery of major infrastructure projects.
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The i also reported that Mr Johnson will use his speech to loosen restrictions on planning laws, making it easier to build new housing and redevelop existing properties which could see empty shops converted into new homes.
Mr Johnson’s comments echo those of his housing minister Christopher Pincher, who told Digital Housing Week on Friday that the housing will be “central” to post-coronavirus recovery.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer warned that the post-COVID-19 recovery plan must be built on “solid foundations” and said the Conservative Party’s record on building and investment has been a “lost decade”.
Sir Keir cited the government’s 2015 Starter Homes initiative which promised 200,000 affordable homes but failed to produce a single property.
He said: “Much-hyped plans such as the Starter Homes initiative – which built zero houses despite having £2.3bn allocated to it – barely even made it beyond the press release. It’s been talk, talk, talk rather than build, build, build.”
Inside Housing has approached the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for further details on the prime minister’s plan.
