Possible rise in Northumberland's housing targets criticised

It comes after the new Labour Government set out new rules that will give councils in England mandatory housing targets to pave the way for 1.5 million new homes across the country.

Under the new rules, Northumberland’s target would be 1,768 homes as opposed to 549 – an increase of 222 per cent.

READ MORE: 14,000 residents on Northumberland Council Housing waiting list

While brownfield sites will be prioritised, councils will have to review their green belt land if needed to meet their own target, identifying and prioritising ‘grey belt’ land, which the government has today set out a definition for.

This includes land on the edge of existing settlements or roads, as well as old petrol stations and car parks.

Cllr Richard Wearmouth, the deputy leader of Northumberland County Council and the chairman of Northumberland Conservatives, was furious with the new targets faced by the council.

He said: “The Labour Government’s new housing policy shows a depth of incompetence that no one could have expected. They have actually cut housing targets in London where there is a desperate need for more homes and the average price is over £600,000 – yet the North East sees huge increases without any justification behind the numbers.

“Northumberland faces a 222 per cent increase in house building target, meaning about 17,000 extra homes will need to be built above the old target. That’s equivalent to a town about the size of Cramlington being built within the next decade or so.

“These targets are of course on top of the huge expansions already in the pipeline for communities like Cramlington, Morpeth and Amble.”

Northumberland is the most sparsely populated county in England, with just 163 people per square mile. There are currently 14,000 residents on the waiting list for social housing, with around 6,000 of those deemed not to be in adequate housing.

Addressing this, Cllr Wearmouth continued: “Our council and residents have never been against house building in the right place. We have a local plan carefully drawn up and agreed with sustainable house building as its bedrock.

“It has affordable housing and careful use of land to avoid the deletion of greenbelt at its core. It also reflects the actual housing need, which Labour locally are trying to exaggerate.

“Sadly, residents have been here before. They will know that this ludicrous change to the targets will see unsustainable growth forced onto the county without any thought for the pressure on services for existing residents.

“They also know there is no shortage of houses being built in Northumberland – a county where you can buy a home in some places for less than £50,000. This Labour policy needs a massive rethink – sadly, it will be residents that suffer as a result.”

While there are some homes for sale in Northumberland at £50,000 and under, the average price for the county is £208,154 according to Rightmove.

Elsewhere, Labour councillors in Northumberland have backed the plans and said the county must play its part.

Labour’s Anna Watson, Shadow cabinet member for Housing said: “Nothing is too good for families in Northumberland – especially the safety and security of owning your own home.

“After 14 years of failure, the new Labour Government is getting Britain building again – and Northumberland council must play our part in delivering the homes that local people need.

"The last Conservative Government left Britain broke and broken – and now it falls to Labour to fix the foundations and get this country moving again.

“The work of change has begun – and that means getting serious about building the 1.5 million more homes we need to tackle the worst housing crisis in generations.”

Speaking on the release of the new rules, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “Our decisive reforms to the planning system correct the errors of the past and set us on our way to tackling the housing crisis, delivering 1.5 million homes for those who really need them.”