Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s biggest housebuilders, opposed government plans to slash carbon dioxide emissions from new homes by at least three-quarters and argued against heat pumps, which are proposed as a replacement for gas boilers, one of the UK’s biggest causes of greenhouse gases. The company, which typically builds about 15,000 new homes a year, told a consultation that a target of cutting CO2 emissions from new homes by 75% to 80% from 2025 was “too high” and argued that heat pumps would be too expensive and would disappoint customers with their performance. Read more on the Guardian website.

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey opposed plans to cut new home emissions | Construction industry | The Guardian

Hancock Tried To Block Plan To Build 400 Homes

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, repeatedly urged fellow Conservative ministers to block a plan to build 400 homes and a primary school in his constituency, claiming it would damage the horse racing industry. His opposition to the development came as senior figures in horse racing leading the opposition made financial donations to him. Rachel Hood, the then Conservative mayor of Newmarket, and her husband, John Gosden, a prominent horseracing trainer who gave evidence opposing the scheme at the public inquiry, each gave Hancock £10,000 in December 2018 and May last year respectively. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/23/hancock-tried-to-block-plan-to-build-400-homes-in-newmarket

May Faces ‘Forceful’ Tory Opposition Over Plans To Build On Greenbelt

Theresa May faces “forceful” opposition from her own benches over plans to build on greenbelt land.  In a Tory split over a planning bill, 15 backbenchers have tabled amendments which seek to protect land around cities and to increase the powers of local people to stop new development. Conservatives rebelling on the Neighbourhood Planning Bill included Andrew Mitchell MP, who told HuffPostUK “I shall be questioning the Government’s commitment to the greenbelt in forceful terms” in the chamber. Read more on the Huffington Post website.

Landlords Would 'Sell Up Rather Than Cut Rents'

London landlords are opposed to rent controls and many would sell up if they were forced to cut or cap their rents, according to a report commissioned by the London Assembly. Others warned they would have no incentive to invest in maintenance if the government tried to stabilise rent. The cost of a new tenancy in London jumped 11.9% between 2013 and 2014. The survey of 174 landlords analysed six proposals for cutting, capping or freezing private sector rents. Read more on the London Assembly website.

What If London Housing Associations Reject Tory Right To Buy Deal?

Islington’s James Murray is one of several politicians opposing the NHF proposal that HAs should sign up to a voluntary RtB and he’s sent his borough’s HAs an interesting letter. He first seeks to persuade them that the forthcoming Housing Bill can be moderated or even defeated with the help of the House of Lords and London Tory MPs. He then floats a further reason to say no to the Tory-NHF deal: “We try to make sure that when we offer funding or other support for new developments, the benefit of that support is retained within our borough. If the majority of housing associations sign the government’s agreement, it is unclear how those who do not sign will be affected. However, if it means they remain exempt from the Right to Buy, it would leave them in a particularly strong position to reassure us that the benefit of any funding, land, or other support we put into their new development schemes will stay within our borough in perpetuity. We would welcome this reassurance when deciding how best we can use our resources.” Read more on the Guardian website.

We Cannot Support The NHF’s Proposal To Housing Associations

The National Housing Federation has announced a proposed ‘voluntary deal’ under which housing associations would extend the Right to Buy to their tenants, and gave its members eight days to vote for or against the deal. Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb has written an open letter to England’s housing associations, saying he cannot support something that at its heart demands the likely sale of over 100,000 vital council homes on the open market to fund the up-to-£100,000 discounts for a lucky few tenants. The agreement, he continues, could help secure HA’s independence into the future, though one could as easily argue that accepting a threat-backed deal signals independence diminished. Read more on the Shelter website.

Right-To-Buy Battle Looms in Lords

The Tories’ plan to extend the right to buy to housing association tenants will face stiff opposition in the House of Lords, amid growing concern that it will compromise the independence of charities and add hugely to government debt. In a move that has support from a cross-party group of peers – as well as the former head of the civil service, Lord Kerslake, who is a crossbencher – Labour has tabled an amendment to the charities bill that would pave the way for a prolonged parliamentary battle over one of the most controversial policies outlined in the Tory manifesto. Senior figures in Whitehall have told the Observer that the Treasury is increasingly concerned about forcing housing associations to sell their properties, fearing it could add up to £60bn to government debt and mean the Treasury has to step in to fund subsidies to buyers. Read more on the Observer website.

Two Thirds of Economists Oppose Help to Buy

A survey of 31 economists has shown a majority oppose the government's controversial Help to Buy scheme. Two thirds of the economists surveyed described the scheme as "bad." The government intervention into the housing market will see taxpayers on the hook for 15 per cent of a home's value, the purpose of which is so banks will once again be willing to offer 95 per cent mortgages and provide a step up on to the housing ladder. Read more on the City AM website.