Caroline Voaden MP has warned the Government that building new homes won’t by itself bring down the price of housing in South Devon.
Speaking on ITV’s West Country debate last week, Caroline expressed concern that the existing infrastructure in South Devon could not cope with any new homes promised by the Government, especially without building more of the “services that go around them.”
Caroline’s intervention came days after the Government launched the largest house building programme since the postwar era. Shortly after the election, the Government set out new mandatory local housing targets, with the South Hams receiving the largest target in South England.
As part of its aspiration to build 1.5m new homes, the Government last week announced its plans to create 20 new towns in England, with shovels hoping to be in the ground by 2029.
While the location of these new towns is currently unknown, it has been reported that the South West has expressed an interest. The housing crisis in Devon is particularly acute, with the Devon Housing Commission declaring a “housing emergency” in the county last July, driven by high property prices and low incomes.
However, despite this, South Devon MP Caroline Voaden, criticised the Government for focusing its efforts on the wrong kinds of houses, saying: “We absolutely need more houses, but building more houses in a place like South Devon isn’t ever going to bring the price down. It’s just going to attract more people who want to live in a beautiful part of the world.
“What we need is truly affordable houses and social housing available for rent. We want the Government to commit to 150,000 social homes for rent every year. We have a huge recruitment crisis in South Devon. Schools can’t recruit teachers. Hospitals can’t recruit nurses. We don’t have enough people to staff the fire station.
“We have key industries that are wobbling from staff shortages because people cannot afford to live here. That’s why we need these social homes. House building shouldn’t be about numbers. It should be community-led and focused on addressing local needs.”
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