25th October 2010 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The National Infrastructure Plan, announced today by Prime Minister David Cameron at the CBI conference, is fundamentally flawed as it excludes the need for new housing, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB)
Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at the FMB said:
“The Government is right to be looking at renewal of the nation’s infrastructure but it cannot afford to ignore new housing provision as it contributes to the delivery of everything else. Economic growth is simply not sustainable without the delivery of new housing and the Government must show it is serious about investment in the UK’s housing needs, when there are some five million people in the UK on the housing waiting lists.”
Berry continued:
“New housing provides the test bed for cutting edge micro generation technologies which help address the energy security and carbon emission reduction agendas. Housing and regeneration developments also make billions of pounds worth of contributions to transport, and water management infrastructure as well as education and health through section 106 agreements.”
Berry concluded:
“The Government is right to prioritize greening the existing housing stock through its Green Deal but it must not forget that the country desperately needs more housing if we are to have a sustained economic recovery. New housing schemes contribute to both paying for infrastructure projects and job creation and as such the Government needs to be giving house building a much higher priority.”
ENDS
Note to editors
Section 106 Agreements
Section 106 agreements are legal agreements under section 106 of the 1990 Town & Country Planning Act, between a planning authority and a developer, or undertakings offered unilaterally by a developer, that ensure that certain extra works related to a development are undertaken. In planning terms section 106 agreements are intended to compensate local communities for loss of amenity or additional burden place on that community by the proposed development. Section 106 agreements range from improving roads and building new community facilities, to creating open spaces and improving Local Schools. Section 106 agreements from housing and regeneration projects generate billions of pounds worth of investment for infrastructure, facilities and amenities every year.
