High housing targets dubbed 'daft'

Housing targets and the affordability of homes prompted debate on BBC Politics North

A council leader has labelled a 222% increase in the annual housing target for his area as "daft".

Speaking on BBC Politics North, Conservative councillor Glen Sanderson warned hitting the new targets would mean Northumberland having "population growth of over a third".

But Labour MP Luke Myer defended the government targets, saying: "We have a housing crisis in this country."

Meanwhile, South Tyneside Green councillor David Francis questioned the affordability of new homes.

Annual housebuilding targets have risen across the North East and Cumbria with Redcar and Cleveland seeing its number increased by 1,327%; the most of any authority in the region.

'Disappearing dream'

Responding to the new figure for Northumberland, county council leader Sanderson claimed targets were unnecessary.

He said: "I don't think setting a 222% increase to a housing target is anything other than daft.

"If we hit the government's target we would end up with population growth of over a third.

"We built 1,600 houses this year which is a fantastic achievement, so we are getting there."

Myer, the 29-year-old MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: "For people of my generation, the dream of owning your own home is disappearing.

"It's a crisis that we're facing and the country simply has not been building enough."

He also said the government was operating a "brownfield first" policy to minimise environmental impact.

For the Green Party, Francis focussed on whether "affordable" homes really lived up to their name.

He said: "What we need is the right homes, in the right places, at the right price. Often what we end up with is big developments with large, executive homes.

"There's always a claim that there is going to be affordable housing, but those houses usually aren't affordable for people.

"They're not the right homes to match the population needs in these areas."

Politics North is on BBC One in the North East and Cumbria at 10:00 BST on Sunday. Episodes are available after transmission on the iPlayer.