With the UK currently experiencing an affordable housing crisis where demand is out-stripping supply, forcing up prices for everyone, and leaving first-time buyers with little hope of getting onto the property ladder the Conservative Party's pledge to build more homes is welcome news, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at the FMB said,
"Grant Shapps MP, Shadow Housing Minister, is right when he comments on the failure of the Government's top down approach to house building and the importance of working with local communities. With house building at its lowest level since the end of the Second World War we desperately need all the encouragement we can get to get house building back on its feet."
Berry continued,
"With over 90,000 homeless households stuck in temporary accommodation and 1.6 million on a council house waiting list waiting for a permanent home it is right that we provide more homes. But how we do it is the real key issue. Our housing needs would be best served by more incentives to promote small scale new housing developments which focus on existing neighbourhoods, villages and towns, as opposed to creating new settlements."
Berry concluded,
"What we need the Conservative Party to do now is to spell out what incentives it intends to introduce to bring this about and what it intends to do with the existing housing stock to make it greener and more energy efficient. A commitment to cut VAT from 17.5 per cent to 5 per cent would be the ideal start to show its real commitment to the housing needs of this country."
30 June 2008
