The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is demanding that the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown MP, decides what he wants from the house building industry - affordable housing or tax revenue – as part of the planned review of building low cost homes in the countryside.
Brian Berry, FMB Director of External Affairs, says
“The Government position is quite clearly that they want to have their cake and eat it. On the one hand they point the finger at the building industry and demand more affordable housing, and with the other it lays down rules and imposes taxes which make houses more and more expensive to build. Brown needs to stop having reviews, and start making decisions! Quite simply, does the Prime Minister want the tax revenues or does he want affordable housing?”
Berry continued,
“The Government only published its green paper on housing last summer, and already we have heard proposals to increase the cost of house building by increasing planning fees by 23%, an unspecified extension to the upper ceiling on planning fees which is already as high as £50,000. In addition, the Government wants to introduce a new ‘community infrastructure levy’ on the granting of planning permission, and this is on top on top of the extra expenses which are already added during the planning application process under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act. None of this is compatible with the real need to provide low cost homes in rural areas.”
Berry concluded,
“Trying to get planning permission is already an expensive, lengthy and inefficient process, and the Government needs to understand that the more expensive they make it, the less affordable the resulting houses become which is bad news for all those wanting and deserving an affordable home. ”
To get a reliable and recommended tradesmen in your area to help with your building issues click here.
Post new comment