Government’s housing policies ‘risk undermining Northern powerhouse efforts’

The government’s housing and planning policies risk undermining its drive to boost the economy of the north of England, a leading housing association boss has warned.

Carol Matthews, chief executive of the 56,000-home Riverside Group, told a fringe meeting at the Labour party conference that policy should be based on a “forward looking” assessment of the nation’s housing needs, rather than a “rear view” one.

Pointing to research published by lobby group Homes for the North to coincide with the meeting, which shows that current policies skew housing and infrastructure funding from the north to higher-growth areas, she said: “If government policy around chasing areas with the highest unaffordability works its way through we will end up with a covert housing target which goes against the north and goes against the government’s approved northern economic strategy.

“That is backward looking and goes against other elements of the government policy on growth.”

In a separate session, Leeds city council leader Judith Blake told Housing Today that she shared concerns about the distribution of funding for supporting development.

She said: “I would like see government ensuring that resources available are released on a fair and equitable basis to the places where it is needed,” she said.

Blake added that decisions over housing funding should be devolved to a regional or sub regional level so that councils can decide between the sites in greatest need of support.

John Healey, shadow secretary of state for housing, said that a future Labour government would review the priorities and programmes of agencies such as Homes England.