Opposition Day — Housing: Long-Term Plan — Ten New Garden Cities — 9 Feb 2016 at 18:47

The majority of MPs voted against a long-term housing plan to meet the housing needs of future generations which includes lifting the borrowing cap for councils and at least ten new garden cities.

The motion rejected by the majority of MPs was:

• That this House
• believes everyone deserves a decent, affordable home to live in;
• regrets that many people are priced out of the communities in which they grew up due to rising house prices and rents;
• acknowledges the achievements of the Coalition Government in implementing Help to Buy, bringing empty homes back into use and increasing support for self-build;
• condemns the present Government’s housing reforms which will lead to fewer new affordable homes for rent and breakdown in communities by selling off affordable homes with no guarantee of replacement;
• further notes their devastating impact on supported housing of the most vulnerable including those with learning disabilities;
• recognises the need for a huge increase in the supply of homes due to decades of under-delivery by successive governments;
• notes that an increase in apprenticeships and other skills training within the construction industry is required to meet that need;
• further notes the particular challenges of affordable housing in rural areas;
• regrets that the average cost of a home in London is now over £500,000;
• endorses the proposal of London Mayoral candidate, Caroline Pidgeon, to convert the Olympic precept into a funding stream that would enable 200,000 new homes to be built in London;
• acknowledges the benefits of building sustainable homes; and
• calls on the Government to set out a long-term housing plan to meet the housing needs of future generations which includes lifting the borrowing cap for councils and at least ten new garden cities.

Debate in Parliament |