Trade body Propertymark has called on the Government to maintain its focus on housebuilding after the Prime Minister laid out his new housing plans.
In a speech in Blackpool Yesterday Boris Johnson unveiled a swathe of new measures from extending Right to Buy to the possibility that lower-paid workers to be able to use housing benefits to buy a house.
However, Propertymark has warned the Government it must not neglect the building of new homes – in the same speech the Prime Minister rowed back from his Party’s manifesto promise on house building.
Eleanor Bateman, policy officer for Propertymark, said: “Sales and lettings agents do not have enough homes to meet demand from buyers or renters.
“What they needed to hear from the Prime Minister was more detail on how his government intends to ensure the planning system is geared up to boost new supply.
“The Prime Minister talked about unlocking small publicly-owned development sites, converting agricultural buildings and supporting self-build schemes – but these are simply not going to deliver the number of houses we need on the ground to cope with demand.
“Making it easier for people to save for a deposit or to get a mortgage as part of his Levelling Up agenda will have little value if there are not the houses available for them to buy.
“But it’s not just about ramping up building. We think more could be done to maintain the turnover of existing homes, such as incentivising right-sizing through targeted Stamp Duty exemptions, something that could be further facilitated through policies that deliver more suitable homes for older and disabled people.”
