The number of new homes being built is in danger of falling to its lowest level since 1923.
As a result of the abolition of Labour’s regional housing targets, almost 85,000 new homes that were in the planning stages are now being abandoned. Now, the number of new homes built next year could total less than 100,000 – the smallest number since 1923.
Most of the planned homes would have been built in the south-west and east of England in response to rising job prospect in these regions. North Somerset Council alone has dropped plans for 10,750 homes. These figures have prompted fears that people in the north of England will find it hard to move to where the jobs are in the coming year or two.
The only part of the UK that has not been affected by the housing target scrap, according to Housing Association figures, is London. This is because housing in the capital is controlled by the Mayor, Boris Johnson, who remains committed to house building.
Industry experts claim that the scrapping of so many new homes is not simply the result of government cost-cutting, but is also linked to moves by the Conservatives to return more power to local councils. 