Time Tories took action on housing

MORE proof of how the Tories disrespect the houses on which millions of families rely to put a roof over their heads.

Property developers are supposed to allocate part of each development in big cities to affordable housing in return for being given planning permission for the rest of a development, but when the Conservatives got into Government they changed the rules to allow developers to weasel out of that if they say they can’t afford it.

Which in turn means the developers are now under pressure to overpay for land or derelict property – with the money going to Tory landowners – because the extra cost can be recouped from developments focused almost entirely on profitable top-of-therange dwellings.

It was recently announced that a Tory council had allowed a Malaysian property consortium to slash the number of affordable flats in a development by several hundred, to only 9% of the total, even though the developers are on track to make a profit of £1,800m.

That means hundreds of families will remain trapped in squalid rented bedsits rather than having a decent home.

It’s the same Conservative mentality we saw when Kensington and Chelsea councillors saved money by replacing the planned cladding of Grenfell Tower with cheaper materials, while pouring money into opera at the wealthy end of the borough.

For the Conservatives, defending the right of the wealthy to a second home is more important than helping build affordable homes so that people in their 20s and 30s move out from Mum and Dad’s spare room.

During the election, Labour presented plans to build a million homes in five years.

The Conservative counterproposal was vague, uncosted and clearly not serious.

They are doing nicely already in their expensive properties – whether in Downing Street or elsewhere – and they regard the housing shortage as someone else’s problem. ●