We will build 1.5m homes, new housing secretary insists

Steve Reed was appointed as the new housing secretary last week

The new Housing Secretary Steve Reed has said the government is "absolutely committed" to getting 1.5 million new homes built in England by 2029, saying "it's what we're going to do".

The former environment secretary inherited the housing brief from Angela Rayner in last week's reshuffle, after she resigned over her tax affairs.

Reed told the BBC the only way out of what he called a housing "crisis" was to "build baby build" and threatened sanctions on developers who dragged their feet, although he did not specify what that might entail.

Industry leaders have warned the government faces a "huge challenge" to reach its target, with housebuilders facing "mounting pressures".

The Conservatives said the government's housing pledges "are for the birds".

"Everyone knows Labour can't deliver on their housing promises," shadow housing secretary James Cleverly said.

"New housing relies on backing builders. But from day one this government has been anti-business and anti-growth."

The promise to build 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament - which is due to run until 2029 - was a key pledge in Labour's general election manifesto.

BBC Verify's Housing Tracker recently showed the number of new homes in England fell during Labour's first year in power, continuing a fall that began under the Conservatives.

However, applications to build more homes have risen over the past six months.

Legislation aimed at reforming the planning system to speed up housebuilding is currently going through Parliament.

Pressed over whether the 1.5 million pledge was a hope or a guarantee, Reed told the BBC: "It's what we're going to do.

"We'll do it by working in partnership with the developers and with the builders," he said.

"My job is to get every barrier out of the way that is stopping that construction going ahead."

Speaking during a visit to a housing development near Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, Reed said he was going to come up with an "acceleration package" that would get planning applications approved more quickly and "spades in the ground".

He added: "I don't want the developers dragging their feet. They don't want to drag their feet - it's their business.

"They make money from going ahead with construction. I'm going to work in partnership with the developers but there will be sanctions if the building doesn't go ahead at pace and at scale."

This week the Home Builders Federation warned the sector was facing rising regulatory costs and taxes, "compounded by delays in processing planning applications".

In Bedfordshire, Garry Dixon, who runs a construction company that works on smaller residential developments, said rising costs were a "massive" challenge.

"I would say three years ago you were getting bricks at 75p, 80p a brick and now they're like £1.20 a brick," he said. "It's just huge, and that's just one sector of the build."

He said the government should put more money into training and apprenticeships to ensure the sector had the skills it needed, but that was not a "quick fix".

Steve Reed was speaking to the BBC at a housing development near Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire

Reed was also challenged over whether the government's pledge to stop housing asylum seekers in hotels by the end of the Parliament could increase pressure on housing.

The promise has prompted concern that asylum seekers could be moved into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) - rental homes for groups of people sharing facilities.

Reed told the BBC: "We're looking at a number of options. We intend to do this in a way that does not put further pressure on the housing market.

"People are already struggling to find a place to live, to rent or to buy. We don't want to add to that burden so we will find a solution to that."

The government has already said it is looking at expanding the use of military sites to house asylum seekers, as well as considering using prefabricated buildings or warehouses.

Reed was moved from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government after Rayner resigned over failing to pay enough tax on a flat purchase.

In a separate interview with BBC Radio 4's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Reed said he was "very close" to Rayner and her resignation was "very painful".

"Angela's a friend who was going through a very, very difficult time. And you know on the one level, I wanted to reach out to her and support her as a friend and I did that," he said.

"But on another level, there are these events that I'm watching on the TV news at the same time. And it's quite odd when you suddenly find yourself and the things that are happening to the people around you in the news too."

You can listen to Steve Reed's full interview on Political Thinking with Nick Robinson on BBC Sounds. It will be on BBC2 at 12:30 on Friday and BBC Radio 4 at 17:30 on Saturday.

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