February Recess (Department's Work)
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)
I would like to update hon. Members on the main items of business undertaken by my Department since the House rose for recess.
Our priority has been to continue to help those areas affected by the recent weather and flooding, and a separate statement has been made today to outline the range of action that the Government have been supporting and co-ordinating over recess.
Notwithstanding:
Increasing house building
On 20 February, official statistics confirmed that England is building again, with 122,590 new starts last year, up by 23% on the previous year, and the highest since 2007. Despite the poor weather conditions over the winter, work on new homes in the last quarter was also up by 23% compared to the same period in 2012.
Recent research by the National House Building Council reported housing registrations rose by 30% in England in 2013 and by 60% in London; registrations across the country are at their highest since 2007 and represent the highest annual total in London since their records began 26 years ago. Similarly, according to the Office for National Statistics, new orders in residential construction have risen to their highest level since 2007. House builders have directly linked the increase in house building with the increased confidence in the market from the Government’s Help to Buy schemes.
This is more to do to get Britain building. It is particularly notable that the National House Building Council figures show that house building is falling in Wales, thanks to the extra regulation on the housing market introduced by the Welsh Government and their lack of support for home buying.
The steady increase in house building in England is confirmation of the effectiveness of the coalition Government’s actions to fix the broken housing market that we inherited in 2010; cutting the deficit to keep interest rates low; prioritising resources to build new housing and helping buyers get on to and move up the housing ladder.
Selling surplus public sector property
On 20 February, my Department outlined the Government’s ongoing progress on disposals of surplus public sector land. We have now sold enough brownfield land to build 68,000 new homes. Some 430 sites have now been sold, and given that each new home supports up to two jobs, these land sales will sustain over 135,000 jobs as the homes are built.
The Government are on track to release enough land for 100,000 homes by 2015. We are making it easier for the public to see what land we own and challenge Government if it could be used better. We are encouraging councils to follow suit, to help them free up brownfield land for new homes and to deliver financial savings from better property asset management.
Helping people build their own home
Following the passage of the secondary legislation through Parliament, I can confirm that self-builders are now exempt from paying the community infrastructure levy. This will help up to 3,000 mothballed self-build homes get off the ground. This change is part of our determination to boost housing supply and help would-be self-builders realise their aspirations, to build their own home, an extension or family annex.
It is the latest in a range of measures to increase the number of people building their own home, including making it easier to get a self-build mortgage, freeing up more surplus public sector land for self-build projects, a £30 million custom-build homes fund, and planning guidance which makes it clear that councils should be supporting self-build in their area.
From April, householders will also benefit from a new council tax relief from family annexes, and we will be taking further steps to remove the unfair imposition of section 106 tariffs from self-builders, annexes and extensions.
Supporting a vibrant private rented sector
My Department has also set out plans to create a fairer and more flexible private rented sector, raising standards of property conditions and rooting out the small minority of rogue landlords. We have already provided £6.5 million to help councils tackle the likes of “beds in sheds”, but we are now exploring a range of measures which will tackle problems such as retaliatory eviction, illegal eviction and hazardous properties. These proposals are balanced with the need to ensure that the vast majority of good landlords and satisfied tenants are not overly burdened with red tape which would force up rents and reduce choice.
In a consultation, we are also reviewing the outdated laws which prevent London householders from renting out their property on short-term lets. Laws dating back to 1973 prevent people renting out their home for less than three months without seeking “change of use” planning permission (whereas, by contrast, long-term rentals do not need planning permission). This legal requirement is simply out of step with the rest of the country and arguably outdated in the light of the internet technologies fuelling both demand and supply for informal short-term letting.
Remembering the Holocaust
On 17 February, my Department announced details of a competition which will help ensure Britain has a permanent and fitting memorial to the holocaust. Six young people will be able to join a youth forum set up by the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission, with one winner, chosen by holocaust survivor Professor Elie Wiesel sitting on the commission itself. Young people aged under-21 can enter by writing an essay which answers the question:
“Why is it so important that we remember the Holocaust and how can we make sure future generations never forget”.
Copies of the press notices and associated documents have been placed in the Library of the House.