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BPF responds to Labour manifesto

Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said:

“Having come in as prime minister on the promise of building 3 million homes, it’s astonishing that the only recognition of rental housing – the only real growth area we have – is through regulation. This manifesto wholly fails to recognise the private rented sector’s contribution to UK housing. A leftist crackdown on landlords will simply stifle growth and while John Healey may present it as a route to get better quality housing, he is detached from reality on how this can be done on the ground.

“The crucial financial facts of what things will cost all seem to be missing. It’s one thing pledging 50,000 new affordable homes when elsewhere the manifesto says it will “make savings in regeneration funding”. This does not create confidence as to how such housing provision will be achieved.

“Like the Conservatives, Labour has also come out with a localist approach saying it will “devolve power to local councils” specifically to tackle renewable energy. This could lead to major inconsistencies in how the problems are tackled if every council in the land demands different things. It is highly worrying that the recession seems to have knocked the green agenda out of the political consciousness and that we are still without a clear national strategy on how renewable energy will be provided, paid for and used.”

For more information contact Andrew Teacher at ateacher@bpf.org.uk