MP to lead Parliamentary Housing Debate
07.06.2010 The MP for the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St Ives, Andrew George, will lead a debate in the House of Commons tomorrow evening, Tuesday 8th June 2010, to raise questions about the new Coalition Government’s approach to meeting local housing need.
Mr George, who has successfully campaigned for changes in previous Government policy – in particular on council tax increases for second homes – says that he will be using this first debate as an opportunity to probe and encourage the Government on a range of housing policies.
The Coalition Government has already committed itself to scrapping the Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) which, amongst other things, proposed the imposition of an additional 70,000 new homes in Cornwall over the next 16 years.
“The scrapping of the RSS is welcome," said Mr George. "But we must quickly move to replace this with policies which put local need first – rather than as an afterthought.
“Cornwall’s housing stock has more than doubled over the last 40 years – becoming one of the fastest growing places in the country – yet the housing needs of locals has got markedly worse. Simply turning Cornwall, once again, into a developers’ paradise doesn’t help our housing need.
“Unfortunately, the planning system rewards landowners and developers for producing what we don’t need – second homes and pricey housing for the well-off – but gives no encouragement to what our communities desperately need – affordable homes for local people.”
As well as raising questions about planning and affordable homes, Mr George will also ask the Minister responding, Andrew Stunnell MP, about the application of Capital Gains Tax on second properties; how to build a viable intermediate market of shared equity and shared ownership homes; how to better control the proliferation of second homes; how the unscrupulous landlords and private agents can be better regulated; and how to deal with the serious shortage of three and four bedroom housing association and council homes, amongst other matters.
07.06.2010 The MP for the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St Ives, Andrew George, will lead a debate in the House of Commons tomorrow evening, Tuesday 8th June 2010, to raise questions about the new Coalition Government’s approach to meeting local housing need.
Mr George, who has successfully campaigned for changes in previous Government policy – in particular on council tax increases for second homes – says that he will be using this first debate as an opportunity to probe and encourage the Government on a range of housing policies.
The Coalition Government has already committed itself to scrapping the Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) which, amongst other things, proposed the imposition of an additional 70,000 new homes in Cornwall over the next 16 years.
“The scrapping of the RSS is welcome," said Mr George. "But we must quickly move to replace this with policies which put local need first – rather than as an afterthought.
“Cornwall’s housing stock has more than doubled over the last 40 years – becoming one of the fastest growing places in the country – yet the housing needs of locals has got markedly worse. Simply turning Cornwall, once again, into a developers’ paradise doesn’t help our housing need.
“Unfortunately, the planning system rewards landowners and developers for producing what we don’t need – second homes and pricey housing for the well-off – but gives no encouragement to what our communities desperately need – affordable homes for local people.”
As well as raising questions about planning and affordable homes, Mr George will also ask the Minister responding, Andrew Stunnell MP, about the application of Capital Gains Tax on second properties; how to build a viable intermediate market of shared equity and shared ownership homes; how to better control the proliferation of second homes; how the unscrupulous landlords and private agents can be better regulated; and how to deal with the serious shortage of three and four bedroom housing association and council homes, amongst other matters.