Housing Secretary: UK property supply and standards a...

The property market is broken, Housing Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged yesterday.

Despite the Conservative Party being in power since 2010, Gove insisted the Tories are still best placed to fix it.

Writing the foreword to a new report from think tank Bright Blue and Shelter, Gove admitted recent Government attempts to boost housing supply and property ownership were piecemeal.

But he claims that measures such as the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will help address supply issues.

He said: “That the current housing model – from supply to standards and the mortgage market – is broken, we can all agree.

“That change is necessary and undeniable. We are bringing about change and we are determined to see it through.”

The report, which features a collection of essays from 16 contributors including other MPs, made recommendations such as offering Stamp Duty reductions for people downsizing out of under-occupied family homes and encouraging the Government to release unused brownfield sites directly to be used by local authorities.

It also suggests committing to an additional 90,000 social homes a year and decentralising planning power to those locally elected to give them the final say to refocus the planning system on increased development rather than planning gain.

While not backing any of these proposals as official Government policy, Gove added: “Every single person in this country, no matter where they are from, what they do or how much money they earn, deserves to live in a home that is decent, safe, secure and affordable.

“Along with the campaigners and political colleagues who have contributed to this thoughtful collection of essays, I am more committed than ever to building a modern, radical and successful conservative housing policy that works for everyone, whether they rent or own.”

Ryan Shorthouse, chief executive of Bright Blue, said: “A Conservative Government, now in power for 13 years, needs to make genuinely affordable and appropriate housing – of all different types of tenure – accessible to a much wider proportion of the population, especially younger generations and those on modest incomes.

“There is no silver bullet to fix the housing crisis. But, without bold and urgent steps, the housing situation in this country is only set to get worse, to the detriment of the national interest and the very survival of the centre-right. We need new, radical solutions now."