The leader of Hull City Council has admitted that the Government’s new housing target “will be a challenge for the city”.
The Government has announced revised targets for the number of homes that councils must approve to be built in their areas.
In August, the Government tasked local authorities in England to build 371,541 new homes a year. This target has this week been revised and slightly lowered to 370,408 new homes a year.
After announcing the ambitious targets the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said: “Getting Britain building means stripping away unnecessary barriers to growth to deliver the homes that we so desperately need.
“For years, vital housing and infrastructure projects have been tied up in red tape leaving communities without the homes, infrastructure and jobs they need.
“Our Plan for Change will put an end to the status quo while restoring nature. It’s win-win for development and our environment, including targeted reforms allowing us to use the economic benefits of growth to fund tangible and targeted action for nature’s recovery.”
In August, each council in England was given an individual target of homes to build per year.
Hull’s target has been lowered in the recent redrafting, with the council having seen its target fall by 60 to 993 new homes a year.
The leader of Hull City Council Cllr Mike Ross, maintains that the lowered target will still be challenging to meet. He said: “Hull is a growing city – over the last decade our population has increased by over 12,500, with record numbers of new homes delivered.
“Achieving the new target of 993 homes per annum will be a challenge for the city, particularly given Hull’s constrained boundaries and when considering our previous target being just 620. That is why Government investment to unlock brownfield sites and support additional affordable homes will be vital in helping provide new housing for our city’s residents and supporting economic growth.”
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
