The tightening of rules to prevent inappropriate development of the green belt, and higher density demands on new buildings in East and South West England, are among initiatives in a new five-year plan for housing.
The Times bullet points some of the provisions: 30,000 housing association tenants to get 50% stake in homes; 15,000 homes at £60,000 to be built on National Health Service Land, the right to buy to be continued, not extended; 10,000 extra social homes a year by 2008; increased housing density in the South West and East; number of homeless to be halved by 2010.
Housebuilders welcomed the announcements on the strategy for building cheap starter homes for key workers on brownfield land and other measures to boost the number of property owners, such as a First Time Buyers Initiative and a shared equity scheme for councils and housing association tenants.
John Prescott told the Financial Times he wanted to put as much of the resources as he could into building housing supply and providing public housing.
The deputy prime minister damped down expectations in his five-year strategy that a new swathe of tenants would be given unfettered right to buy their own homes.
Tony Blair appears to be at odds with this, however, after he told the newspaper he wanted to get home ownership up to 80% over 10 years.
The prime minister hopes to speed up the planning process on derelict sites to quicken the rate of affordable homes coming on to the market, and he is offering to meet housebuilders.
References: Financial Times 25/01/05 page 4, The Guardian 25/01/05 page 11, page 23 (Leader), The Times 25/01/05 page 24, The Daily Telegraph 25/01/05 page 4, The Independent 25/01/05 page 18, page 36, page 39 (O
