New housing targets 'a disaster' - council leader

Tonbridge and Malling's Conservative council leader says finding sites to build houses on is "really challenging"

The government’s proposed housing targets would be a “disaster” for Tonbridge and Malling, according to the borough council leader.

The government has reintroduced mandatory housebuilding targets for local authorities and is proposing to change the way the figures are calculated.

Under the plans, Tonbridge and Malling would need to deliver an additional 446 homes a year - a 29% increase on its current target.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "Housing targets across the South East have been set objectively and are in line with local housing need."

Some parts of the South East would see the number of homes they are required to deliver each year increase by around 40-50%.

Reigate and Banstead would see their target almost double.

Matt Boughton said the government should "expect opposition" to new housing targets from local residents and councils

Tonbridge and Malling's Conservative council leader, Matt Boughton, said the proposed change in targets "could be an absolute disaster for those people who wish to quite rightly preserve the identity of their local towns and villages".

He claimed that it would be more difficult for the council to "defend" against planning applications "that neither the council nor any resident in the area would consider appropriate".

Mr Boughton also suggested the plans could "weaken the protections" on green belt land within the borough.

Latest figures show the authority only met 63% of its housebuilding target between 2019 and 2022.

Official documents show the changes will mean councils overall will now have to plan for around 370,000 homes annually, instead of the current 305,000.

Waiting for advice

Hastings Borough Council built 32% of the total homes required between 2019 and 2022.

The change to the figures would mean the area will be required to deliver an additional 47% of homes.

Its Green council leader, Julia Hilton, said: "We await advice as to how a small, coastal town such as Hastings surrounded by protected landscapes and bounded by sea is supposed to deliver an additional 282 homes a year on top of our existing targets".

She added that the council would "really welcome" support to bring over 700 empty homes in the town back into use.

The change to the way the housing targets are calculated means some areas in the South East will see their targets go down slightly, including Dartford, Ashford and Eastbourne.

Mr Boughton claimed that the proposals were "pure politics" and that local authority areas not under Labour control were being "punished".

The government spokesperson added: "We cannot shirk responsibility for the housing crisis, and all areas of the country must play their part as we work to achieve our goal of delivering 1.5 million homes over the next five years.”