Housing

A home is a fundamental aspiration for all. Aside from utility and personal satisfaction, it is the foundation of so many things that society needs and wishes to promote.

The Peoples Party will:
undertake a massive house building programme ensuring that good quality eco friendly houses are built which are affordable for people to buy with mortgages based on average salaries
stimulate the construction of at least 500,000 new homes a year
commission a range of customisable peoples houses that are eco friendly, affordable, efficient and desirable homes to live
use the planning powers of government to compulsory purchase agricultural land at market value to make sure that nothing gets in the way of this objective
ensure that the cost of an average building plot is no more than £2,000
abolish the requirement to get planning permission in most areas, replacing existing rules with simple rights such as the right to a view and light
actively encourage eco friendly new builds in the countryside and simplify building control
encourage more intensive use of existing plots, including the demolition of older single houses and their replacement with multiple eco dwellings
make it illegal to discriminate against the self employed in mortgage applications
facilitate older people leaving larger houses with attractive downsizing options
ban new second home ownership, consult on introducing measures that will force existing owners to sell

Access to housing is vital for national and personal prosperity. Affordable homes should be available in suitable locations to facilitate the mobility of people and employment needs.

For far too many people owning a home or even affording the rent on suitable accommodation is an impossible dream. This must change. We must dramatically increase the supply of houses and encourage home ownership.

We must emulate the Victorian terraced housing programme, providing a range of well designed, good quality eco friendly housing that costs no more than an average of £75,000 a property.

To achieve this, we must encourage green housing on land previously used for livestock farming. The plot price must be determined solely by the land’s agricultural value. The current cost of plots dramatically inflates house prices.

In many areas of the country, second homes conspire to make property unaffordable and unavailable for local people. It is wrong for people to have two houses or more while others have none.