Market town welcomes new government housing targets

Plans to force councils to deliver more new homes have been welcomed by locals in a rural market town.

Labour wants to change the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to give local authorities higher targets for housebuilding every year.

Members of Conservative-led Breckland Council in Norfolk have described the new policy changes as "farcical" claiming they would impact residents and businesses.

But 29-year-old Sophie Butler-Brimblecombe, from Dereham, said: "People want to get on the ladder and they generally can't do it without affordable housing."

In July, the Housing Secretary Angela Rayner announced plans to overhaul England’s planning rules.

Under the plans, English councils will once again have to incorporate government-set housing targets into their long-term plans to allocate land.

It is hoped it could help deliver Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.

Ms Butler-Brimblecombe lives with her three children in a two-bedroom council flat in the market town of Dereham.

She said: "If I was to go on the property ladder, it would be impossible to find anywhere.

"Building new houses works really well if people can afford to do it in the first place.

"If you have somebody like me that works part time or can only just afford the rent each month, affordable housing isn’t an option for me.

"It would take me years to save up for a house."

A consultation into the Government’s revised NPPF finished at the end of September.

The government intends to respond by the end of the year.

At a cabinet meeting last month, Breckland councillors said the new rules would put pressure on the authority to green light more housing developments across the district.

Paul Claussen, a Conservative member of the council, said: "This increased target is absolutely farcical and has not been thought through.

"There is no way in the world that you can look at all of the problems we face in housing – like the nutrient neutrality battleground – and think this is achievable.

"I haven’t got a clue what we can do to influence the thinking of this government."

In Norfolk, the possible new targets could see Breckland Council’s housing target increase from 625 homes per year to 917 – an increase of 47%.

This is compared with an uplift of 60% in Great Yarmouth, 70% in North Norfolk, 88% in West Norfolk and 37% across the South Norfolk, Norwich and Broadland districts.

Breckland Council has now voted to pause the development of its local plan while it waits for more clarity from the government.

25-year-old Aaron Cartwright lives with his parents in Attleborough. He has welcomed the proposed new targets.

"The affordability of places now is through the roof," he said.

"It’s good they're trying to bring the price of houses down to make them affordable.

"But, at the same time, you've got to think of the cost of building them in the first place."

Mick Biffen, 70, lives in Toftwood near Dereham.

He said: "Youngsters are looking for houses, but the deposits are becoming almost half the price of the house.

"I think it’s unaffordable when you'd need a £40,000 deposit on a £250,000 house."

A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "We are facing a serious housing crisis so all areas of the country must play their part in building the homes that Britain badly needs.

"We will work in partnership with councils to create the vital infrastructure that people need in their communities, as we meet our commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes in the next five years."

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