Sajid Javid vows to slash time taken by councils to start new developments in bid to fix housing crisis

COMMUNITIES Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday called for a homes revolution to build a stronger economy.

Unveiling plans to fix the housing crisis, he warned a generation could be priced out of the market by go-slow councils and builders.

He vowed to rush through rules to slash time taken to get developments off the ground and to seize land from fat cat developers hoarding plots, as we revealed yesterday.

Mr Javid also warned the broken housing market stopped people moving to take up jobs and huge deposits forced families to cut back on spending.

Under the plans, councils will be sidelined if they fail to hit binding targets for new homes in their patch.

Mr Javid said developers faced a new Green Belt Tax to build on protected land but that it would be allowed in exceptional circumstances. And he urged better use be made of city centres by encouraging high density house building.

Speaking in the Commons, the Communities Secretary said: “Walk down your local high street today, and there’s one sight you’re almost certain to see.

“Young people, faces pressed against the estate agent’s window, trying and failing to find a home they can afford.

“With prices continuing to sky-rocket, if we don’t act now, a whole generation could be left behind.” The plans were lauded by Tory backbenchers, who had threatened to rebel over any loosening of protection for the green belt.

But Mr Javid was accused of going nowhere near far enough to solve a crisis that has left Britain with a housing deficit of nearly “two million homes”.

The Communities Secretary admitted prices were rising so quickly, house prices were nearly EIGHT TIMES higher than average wages.

He said immigration was not to blame, ­adding: “If immigration was to fall to zero, we would still have a deficit of some two million homes.”

The plans were praised by Tory backbenchers, who had threatened to rebel over any loosening of ­protection for the Green Belt.

But Mr Javid was accused of not going far enough to solve the crisis.

Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey accused him of being “stamped on” by Downing Street, adding: “We were promised a White Paper, we’ve got a white flag.”

The Institute of Economic Affairs said many of the initiatives were fiddly and failed to address supply.

Boss Mark Littlewood said the Government had shied away from slashing red tape on planning and freeing up even a small percentage of green belt land.

He added: “It seems politics has once again trumped sensible economics.”

But Mr Javid insisted the Government is committed to delivering a million new homes by 2020. Consultation on the plans runs until May 2.

Plans for the revolution...

• Right spot: Every local council will have to produce plans to make sure enough land is released.
  In urban locations higher density housing will be pushed.
• A move on: The time between getting planning permission and the start of building work will be shortened.
  Developers will have to start building within two years of planning consent.
• Home help: People will get more support to buy a house of their own.
  There will be more help-to-buy schemes and investment in affordable homes programmes.
• On target: Councils will effectively be sidelined from planning permission decisions on new developments if they fail to meet targets on housebuilding for their areas.
• Three year lets: Longer, ‘family friendly’ three-year tenancies are proposed for new-build rental homes.
  New laws are promised to ban letting agents’ fees slapped on tenants.
• Loose belt: Green Belt development will be allowed in exceptional circumstances.
  Ministers will consider charging developers a higher fee to build on the protected space.