New Shadow Housing Secretary Vows to Put Council Housing 'Centre Stage'

Labour’s new shadow housing minister has said the party would restore regional planning if put in power at the next election. Jack Dromey, who has been confirmed as shadow to housing minister Grant Shapps, told Building that he had been asked by Labour leader Ed Miliband to put “housing centre stage” as Labour looks to rebuild support. Dromey also said that Labour would put a new era of council house building at the centre of his policies. Dromey said: “The government was absolutely crazy to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) and Regional Development Agencies. We are now the only country in western Europe without effective regional and sub-regional planning. We need to address that.” Read more on the Building website.

Councils Will Not Get RDA Land

The government has ruled out transferring regional development agency land assets to local government when the agencies wind up next year. A statement from the department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: ‘It would not be appropriate for RDAs to transfer assets to local authorities or other bodies’ for payment at a later date’. The ‘other bodies’ is likely to include new local enterprise partnerships, many of whom were banking on cut-price sales of assets. Local authorities will be able to purchase land at market value after the RDA transition and closure programme board agreed to the short-term sale of specified land and property assets. A full list of the assets that have been authorised for sale will be publicised shortly and local authorities will be made aware of relevant sales in their area. Read more on Inside Housing.