Government 1.5 million housebuilding target would only ‘dent’ need, says Rayner

The Government’s target for 1.5million new homes would only leave “a dent” in the country’s housing need, Angela Rayner has said.

The Deputy Prime Minster told a committee of MPs that they are “achievable targets” that have been set by ministers, but also that it would only go someway to delivering “the houses we desperately need”.

The Government has pledged to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament, and last month announced a shake-up of planning rules that will see mandatory building targets for councils in England.

Ms Rayner took questions from the housing, communities and local government committee of MPs on Tuesday, and was asked whether annual targets could be reviewed or increased towards the end of the Parliament if needed to hit the 1.5 million total.

She told the committee: “I’ve set that target and most people to be honest […] say ‘this is ridiculous we can’t make that target’.

“If somebody wants to come forward and beat that target we’re not going to turn around and say no you can’t do that.”

Ms Rayner – who also serves as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government –  called the 1.5 million figure a “stretch target” but that she was “determined” to not “lose this fight, and added: “Even if I achieve and this Government achieves the 1.5 million homes target, it is a dent.

“It is a dent in what we need to achieve as a whole country to deliver the houses we desperately need.”

As well as the 1.5 million target, Ms Rayner said that it is “critical” that there is the infrastructure development to go alongside it.

She told the committee that “the buy-in that we need from the electorate when we build these homes is that they have to see that that infrastructure is going alongside it”.

Ms Rayner said “often there is a genuine frustration from people” who have “genuine concerns” about infrastructure, and added: “That’s why we’ve got to make sure that that infrastructure is critical as well as the target of 1.5 million homes”.

Ms Rayner also said that the Government wants to bring forward plans for changes to leasehold in 2025, telling the committee: “We want to do that within this year, bring forward the legislation.”

Reforms to leasehold were announced in the King’s Speech last summer.