Housebuilding overhaul: housing should be community led, not dictated from Whitehall diktat

EMBARGO: 00:01 Thursday 12 December

Responding to the Government's housing plans, including mandatory higher housing targets for councils, Liberal Democrat Housing and Planning spokesperson Gideon Amos MP said: 

"We need to restore trust in politics and you don't do that by ignoring local communities. The new homes we need must be genuinely affordable and community led, not dictated from Whitehall diktat, with local amenities like GPs, schools and public transport built alongside new homes.

"Across the country, vulnerable families and pensioners are on never ending waiting lists, desperate for a safe home. Addressing the housing crisis will also help us solve the care crisis, especially for older and vulnerable people. 

"It is clear that Britain is in a housing crisis, but this announcement does not address the root problem - a desperate lack of social housing. The Government must now make this their priority, and deliver the 150,000 social homes we need annually."

ENDS