Housebuilding targets for St Albans could increase from 885 to 1,554 per year under government proposals.
In recent years, an average of 411 homes per year have been built in the city – well short of the current target. Following the recent General Election, the newly elected Labour government has been on a mission to boost housebuilding across the country.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner MP recently confirmed that Labour would be bringing back the mandatory housing targets scrapped under the Conservative government.
The new target could force a rethink of the long-awaited St Albans Local Plan, currently set to go out to public consultation in the autumn.
Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans, has long been an opponent of mandatory housing targets, voicing her dissent when Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced plans for their return in the wake of the election.
Leader of St Albans City & District Council councillor Paul de Kort said: “It is far better if locally elected representatives decide on the details of our Local Plan rather than Whitehall, which will not have a feel for the area. It is also vital that we establish an effective defence against piecemeal development proposals which do not meet the needs of our local communities.”
A government consultation on the plans is now under way.
Photo Credit: St Albans City and District Council
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