Miliband backs housing partnerships

Labour leader Ed Miliband has welcomed the findings of the Lyons review, which his party commissioned to explore ways to increase housing development across the country.

Sir Michael Lyons has published his review into housebuilding and a central plank of the plans is the creation of Housing Growth Areas that will bring together the relevant public authorities together with private sector partners to deliver new developments.

Housed within so-called New Development Corporations, the various organisations would see local authorities acting as lead developers within the Housing Growth Areas, with a clear mandate to deliver new homes.

Among the proposed reforms, the Lyons report suggests giving powers to encourage both public and private landowners to invest their land. The cost of associated infrastructure should be funded by the value created by the development they support, the report adds.

It remains unclear how these new corporations will raise the money needed for new homes, with the potential for them to work as joint ventures with the public sector providing the land and the private partners matching the value of that land with cash.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has said a Labour government would not fund new housing through new borrowing, saying the party will look to increase the priority for housing within the overall capital settlement.

Welcoming the Lyons report, Miliband said: “Only Labour has a plan to build the homes that our country, our local communities and our families need.”

To read the full report, click here.