Promises, promises from Labour at its party conference

THE Labour Party conference this week saw ministers give a number of pledges on property. Deputy Leader and shadow housing secretary Angela Rayner said that if Labour wins the next election it will oversee the biggest boost in affordable housing in a generation by reforming planning rules. Last year, affordable and social housing construction fell by 12 per cent.

She also promised that Labour would prevent housing developers from reneging on section 106 regulations which sets out the number of affordable homes they should be building in return for getting planning permission to build homes to sell on the open market.

Labour also plans to establish an expert unit to give local authorities and housing associations advice on getting the best deal during section 106 negotiations with developers.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves says her party would adopt a brownfield first approach to development but she also wants to speed up planning approvals and review rules on building on green belt land while promising that there would be “no wholesale building on the green belt”.

Labour leader Kier Starmer backed this up by pledging to accelerate building on unused urban land to create “the next generation of new towns near English cities”.

The conference brought good news for leaseholders if Labour wins the next General Election. The party plans to adopt Law Commission proposals that include making it easier for leaseholders to buy the freehold or extend their lease.

Angela Rayner promised to enact the mothballed Renters Reform Bill if the Tories don’t do it.

Those caught in the building safety scandal and especially those leasehold flat owners in blocks under 11 metres who have no government help, are praying that their plight will be top of the ‘must sort’ list, whichever party wins.