Local communities must have say on housing - Sunak

Rishi Sunak visited Horsham in West Sussex with local MP Jeremy Quin

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said local communities should have the biggest say on where new housing is built.

The Conservatives previously pledged to build one million new homes in the UK by the end of this parliament.

During a visit to Horsham, West Sussex, Mr Sunak said the Tories will deliver that promise, prioritising brownfield sites and protect green spaces.

“We said one million homes; we’re delivering one million homes,” he told BBC Radio Sussex.

'Get housing built'

Mr Sunak said the current government had a “good track record” of building homes.

“But crucially, we’re doing that in the right places – prioritising brownfield with extra funding and working with local communities, like here, to protect green spaces and get housing built, as we believe strongly in making sure everyone can own a home.”

The prime minister also highlighted the importance of filling in potholes on the roads.

“Most people rely on their car to get around every day and we can never lose sight of that,” he said.

“I’m very keen that we support motorists, and that’s why one of the decisions I’ve made as prime minister was to change track on HS2 and to take a chunk of the money that we would have spent, and invest that around the county, including here in Sussex, in road maintenance.”

Rishi Sunak purchased a sausage roll at Giovanni Barozz's Panino Café

Mr Sunak also paid a visit to a café, where he purchased a sausage roll to share with Horsham MP Jeremy Quin.

Giovanni Barozzi, who has owned Panino Café for 35 years, said: “He thanked me for the food and asked me how I managed through Covid-19.

“It is a slow process, but the grants helped, which I told him.”

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.