What are the politicians offering the property industry in election year?

Political Promises. Conservatives vs Labour Construction. Copyright: building.co.uk magazine

Conservatives vs Labour Construction. Image and article adapted from the building.co.uk website

Political promises in property swing back and forth, with both Labour and the Conservatives making significant U-turns. Both parties have retreated from previously emphasised green commitments, altering the landscape of their economic agendas.

Uncertainty looms over housing targets, with deliberate vagueness characterising their formulation.

Despite the absence of comprehensive manifestos, glimpses into each party’s stance on crucial construction policy areas offer insight into their electoral offerings. Presented below is an overview of the current positions of the Conservatives and Labour on five key policy fronts.

 

Policy area

Conservatives

Labour

Housing

  • No mandatory housebuilding targets for local authorities

  • 250,000 new homes in Cambridge

 

  • Mandatory housebuilding targets for local authorities

  • 1.5 million new homes over a five-year period

  • New towns

  • 150,000 social and affordable homes a year

Planning

  • Restrictions on time extension agreements between councils and applicants on planning decisions

  • Performance league tables for time taken to make planning decisions

 

  • Design standards for “gentle urban development”

  • Planning passports for developers which meet design standards, allowing easier brownfield development

  • Review greenbelt rules

Net zero

  • Exemptions to boiler ban for some households

  • Heat pump grant increase from £5,000 to £7,500

 

  • £15bn on green investment a year (£4.7bn of which is new money)

  • Upgrade five million homes to an EPC C rating over the course of the parliament

  • Decarbonise UK power by 2030 under new body, Great British Energy

With many thanks to Building.co.uk for the political summary.