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BPF backs Tory housing plans

Commenting on Grant Shapps’s housing speech today, Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, which represents developers, investors and advisers, said:

“Three or four reiterated announcements do not make a radical housing policy, but plans to incentivise local communities show that a welcome amount of thought has gone into localism proposals.

“Making this work will mean up-to-date local plans, properly resourced local planning departments and councillors taking planning decisions based on merit rather than on keeping themselves in office.

“Shapps has committed to being pro-development, and while we’re not proposing to pave over Great Britain, it’s clear that we do need to kickstart construction if we’re to house people, promote new business and re-employ the many thousands left jobless by the property crash.

“Allowing village expansion of 10% also makes sense in that it makes use of existing infrastructure. It’s something the French do with much success and the addition of a few properties to a village can help keeps a place’s vitality and provide funding for schools, post offices or any new amenities under the Tory plans.”

For more information and all PR and media queries, please contact Andrew Teacher, Head of Media, on 020 7802 0113 / ateacher@bpf.org.uk.