National Infrastructure Projects (Local Development)

Debate between Frank Dobson and Kris Hopkins

Thursday 12th February 2015 Westminster Hall

[Kris Hopkins]

All that demonstrates is the fact that the hon. Gentleman does not understand the process. I am concerned that residents may be listening to the hon. Gentleman when he says that in the future affordable housing will not be delivered. The local plan and localist policies are giving members of the public and elected representatives the opportunity to determine where affordable housing is built. It is not in the hands of the Mayor. The hon. Gentleman said that the previous Conservative council did not deliver. He has now got three Labour councils, and he seems to have no confidence in their delivering.

[Frank Dobson]

The best prospect for relieving the pressure on Camden’s housing was the Mount Pleasant Post Office site, but the Mayor has given full-scale approval, using his existing powers, for what can be described only as a speculative housing development. He said that there will be some social housing, but it will be at 80% of market rent. He is cracking a pretty good joke, because in that area 80% of market rent is £30,000 per year.

[Kris Hopkins]

We need to place this issue in context. The right hon. Gentleman has complained about the delivery of houses, and said that he does not like the formula. However, he makes no reference to the fact that one of the reasons why residents in London are struggling to find houses is that the Government of whom he was part failed to deliver housing. The Mayor of London has delivered 23,000 affordable homes, and he is on track to deliver another 15,000 before the end of the year. We asked him to deliver that, and he was confident that he could do it. He is also going to deliver another £1.1 billion of affordable homes in the future.

[Frank Dobson]

Most Londoners cannot afford 80% of market rents. A newly appointed consultant surgeon at Great Ormond Street hospital would not be able to afford rent of £30,000 a year. If it is not affordable for a new consultant surgeon, who is it affordable for?

[Kris Hopkins]

There are too few houses, which has forced up rents over a long time. It is important that we build houses, whether by building social housing or private rental housing, or asking councils to utilise some of the £300 million-worth of resources to build council houses themselves. The Government have delivered what we promised on affordable housing, and our record will be compared with the previous Government’s absolute failure to deliver over 13 years. A Labour elected representative has recognised with embarrassment that the Labour Administration failed to deliver in 13 years what Margaret Thatcher delivered in one. I understand the right hon. Gentleman’s concern, but he must reflect on his party’s failure before pointing the finger.

Before I conclude, I want to pick up on some of the issues that have been raised, and to give some reassurances. The local plan will be delivered over the next 18 months, and it will set out our expectations on affordable housing. It will be subject to the rigorous examination that we would all expect. The MDC plans will also set out important safeguards to existing assets in the area, including the Park Royal industrial area and Wormwood Scrubs. That is key to ensuring that development happens in the right way for the local people in the area.

Old Oak and Park Royal is just one example of the impact national infrastructure has on local growth. By definition, national infrastructure projects have the potential to create benefits across the country, and there are examples of that along the whole length of the proposed High Speed 2 route. I realise that the right hon. Gentleman has been a ferocious opponent of that project. We both served on the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill Committee, and I completely respect the stance that he has taken, but as a northern Member of Parliament, I recognise that it is extremely important that we make use of the opportunity to increase our connectivity and capacity to ensure that the whole of the country grows as a consequence of High Speed 2. That does not mitigate all the individual challenges that the right hon. Gentleman has raised today and in the past.

[Frank Dobson]

The main objective of High Speed 2 is to promote economic development in five cities—Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester—but if the £50 billion were broken up into five nuggets of £10 billion and offered to each of those cities to promote economic development, does the Minister think that the first thing they would do is to club together to buy a railway?

[Kris Hopkins]

I have heard the right hon. Gentleman pose that question several times before, but that is not how the project should be interpreted. Actually, it will benefit eight out of Britain’s 10 largest cities, linking them together and delivering a significant economic contribution to each of them. Journey times to London, and from London to other places, will be reduced, and the economic opportunities will be absolutely massive. However, as in London, the key to success across the country will be local leadership. Local enterprise partnerships will bring together elected individuals and businesses to work with the Government, agencies and other regeneration organisations.

It is important that we harness this opportunity. I recognise the challenge that elected representatives in London face, but there is a broader issue to be addressed. We are also delivering a comprehensive northern transport strategy that will complement High Speed 2 and set out the priority corridors and areas for investment and infrastructure across the north of England, which will drive economic growth and deliver the vision of the northern powerhouse. It is important to recognise that the infrastructure investment and changes that are going on at this end of High Speed 2 are connected to other parts of the country.