ELECTION UPDATE
Labour
On Monday (24 June), Shadow Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband pledged to scrap the current 2035 gas boiler ban if Labour form a government. In an interview with The Telegraph, Miliband heavily criticised heat pump uptake under the Conservatives and claimed Labour will use financial incentives to encourage uptake, rather than mandates. He also pledged to removed planning rules that require community support to approve proposed wind turbines in order to increase the supply of electricity as net zero reforms increase electricity demand.
On Tuesday (25 June) Keir Starmer wrote an article for Inside Housing setting out the Labour Party’s plans for housing. Outlining how home ownership is “the bedrock of security and aspiration”, he provides an anecdote showing how many young people in Britain today cannot buy a house, despite “doing everything right”. He goes on to highlight Labour’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes over the next parliament and to reform the planning system to better the environment for house building. He also highlights how increasing overall supply is central to bettering long-term affordability.
On Wednesday (26 June), Ed Miliband made an appearance at ground source heat pump manufacturer Kenza’s factory in Cornwall. On the visit, he was joined by local Labour candidates Perran Moon and Jayne Kirkham, and they met Kensa’s CEO Tamsin Lishman and several other employees to discuss heat decarbonisation.
Green Party
Green deputy leader Zack Polanski has said at an Architects Journal event that Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes can only be delivered sustainably if it includes “a proper plan for retrofits”, accusing both Labour and the Conservatives of having a blind spot in this policy area. He highlighted that the Green Party has pledged to spend £29 billion on retrofitting the country’s housing stock in its general election manifesto. Polanski also argued that rushed building of new homes risks “obsolescence” in a few years time and a need to retrofit insulation in the first few years of a building’s life.
IN THE NEWS
Election 2024: Labour to create new office for net zero in government to push green transition – Sky News
Sky News reports the Labour Party is considering setting up an Office for Net Zero if it forms the next government. It is not yet clear whether the new office would sit within the Cabinet Office – one of the key control centres in government alongside Number 10 and the Treasury – or under the existing Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The current department, established in Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle last year, has general oversight over net zero policies but does not have a formal delivery function across government. The article also reports how there may be internal tension in the Labour Party over this, as such a strong signal of Labour’s commitment to net zero might run against Keir Starmer’s attempts to proceed more cautiously in the area.
Labour plans to build 1.5m homes. Will that help Britons struggling for good housing? – The Guardian
The Guardian has published an analysis of Labour’s house building plans. This includes opinions from various industry experts on the reality of Labour’s target of 1.5 million houses being built over the next five years. Ant Breach of Centre for Cities argues that housebuilding stimulates the economy more widely, aiding Labour’s other efforts to kickstart the economy. The article also highlights the party’s pledge to fund 300 new planning officers to better councils’ planning resources and to allow local authorities to earmark more green-belt land for homes. On planning policy, campaign group Priced Out’s Freddie Poser is quoted stating the need to get building quickly if an incoming Labour government is to build new towns. Ryan Shorthouse from centre-right thinktank Bright Blue is also quoted admitting the prospect of a Labour government excites him, with changes likely to planning and new efforts being brought in to better housing affordability.
Labour urged to back Canary Wharf-style developments to help build 1.5m homes – iNews
iNews reports the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has published a report calling for the next government to implement various planning reforms. Included in these calls is for housing density to be increased with more “Canary Wharf-style” developments being used to build at least half of all new housing within existing city limits, with the claim that this will boost the economy by £23 billion over the next decade. The report also warns that there is also a need for greater government spending on local planning departments, with the RTPI warning that up to £50 billion could be lost from the economy in housing value if planning infrastructure, as well as rules, are not improved.
Housing 2024: Metro mayor promises to retrofit every home in West Yorkshire by 2038
Inside Housing reports Tracy Brabin, Labour Mayor of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, has pledged to retrofit every home in West Yorkshire by 2038. Brabin announced this commitment at the Housing 2024 conference on Tuesday (25 June). When asked how she would achieve this given the current economic pressures on social housing landlords, she accepted there will be challenges, but argued there would be “help” for landlords. Brabin also reiterated her pledge to deliver 5,000 new affordable homes over the next four years.
