Housing target is a challenge, says council boss

Councils across England have been set housing targets by the government

The leader of Hull City Council has said it would be a challenge to meet the government's housing target.

In August, the government tasked local authorities in England with building 371,541 new homes a year. Earlier this week, the target was lowered to 370,408 new homes a year.

Despite Hull's target being being lowered from 1,053 to 993, Mike Ross expressed concern.

He said: "Achieving the new target... will be a challenge for the city, particularly given Hull's constrained boundaries and when considering our previous target being just 620."

Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council, says it will be a "challenge" meeting the government target of 993 homes a year

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ross pointed out Hull is "a growing city".

He added: "Over the last decade our population has increased by over 12,500, with record numbers of new homes delivered."

Ross said government investment to unlock brownfield sites would be "vital in helping provide new housing for our city's residents and supporting economic growth".

After announcing the targets, the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner, said: "Getting Britain building means stripping away unnecessary barriers to growth to deliver the homes that we so desperately need.

"For years, vital housing and infrastructure projects have been tied up in red tape leaving communities without the homes, infrastructure and jobs they need.

"Our Plan for Change will put an end to the status quo while restoring nature. It's win-win for development and our environment, including targeted reforms allowing us to use the economic benefits of growth to fund tangible and targeted action for nature's recovery."

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