Government told to think again on house targets

The global economic crisis means the Government should urgently look again at its controversial target to build three million new homes, MPs will say today.

The Commons Environmental Audit Committee will warn that if Ministers do not change the target to reflect the downturn, greenfield sites could be developed unnecessarily.

Today's report will be welcomed by campaigners in the South West, where the Government's plans for almost 600,000 new homes have caused uproar.

Ministers announced in July they would add an additional 23,000 additional houses to the official planning blueprint for the region.

The document, called the regional spatial strategy, angered MPs from all parties, and other campaigners, who felt the previous figure of 569,450 was already far too high.

There were concerns over how many of the new properties will be built on the flood plain. And MPs were astonished Ministers would not back a policy to ensure that previously developed brownfield sites are built on first.

Today's report, Greener Homes for the Future?, accuses the Government of favouring building more houses over minimising their impact on global warming.

But the committee says the economic developments of the past few weeks gives an opportunity to revise the three million target, and put more emphasis on green concerns.

The MPs say unless Ministers change their policies, it will be impossible for councils to prevent planning permission being granted for development on greenfield land, even though the housing market slowdown means it is no longer needed.

And they want the Government to strengthen planning policy so the importance of protecting existing green-belt boundaries is made a priority.

Tory MP Tim Yeo, the committee chairman, said: "Government targets for house-building are intended to make homes more affordable by increasing supply. But these ambitious targets were agreed in a time of economic optimism and easy credit.

"Clearly the assumptions on which the three million target was based must be reviewed in the current climate.

"This is an opportunity for the Government to place environmental concerns at the heart both of targets and planning regulations for new housing.

"The Government needs to ensure that in the current market downturn, an excess of land is not made available to developers, which could lead to greenfield land being developed in preference to brownfield. Once greenfield land is released for development, this land will be lost forever."

The MPs also want the Government to investigate the potential of redeveloping empty buildings to create up to 1.2 million new homes.

But Housing Minister Margaret Beckett said: "No one should be in any doubt of our commitment to greener homes and to cutting carbon emissions.

"We have shown we can build the homes that are needed whilst protecting the environment, green spaces, and preventing urban sprawl. Now is not the time to scale back on long-term ambitions because of current economic difficulties.

"We need to be ready for the recovery and be able to meet long-term demand for homes from first time buyers and families."

She said last year 77 per cent of homes were built on brownfield sites.