Hundreds of thousands of Brits could miss out on their dream home after PM caved to Nimby MPs, housing chiefs warn

HUNDREDS of thousands of Brits could miss out on their dream home because Rishi Sunak caved to Nimby MPs, housing chiefs have warned.

Last week Housing Secretary Michael Gove binned mandatory house-building targets for town halls in the face of Tory a backbench rebellion.

In a major win for MPs who hate new developments in their neighbourhood, centrally determined targets will now be “advisory” only.

This week builders warned the “catastrophic” move will come at a potential £17bn cost to the economy. 

In a scathing private letter to the government’s economic watchdog, seen by Trending In The News, they claimed 100,000 fewer homes will likely be built as a result.

The government wants Britain to construct 300,000 new homes each year to tackle the crippling housing crisis.

But industry thinks numbers will only hit a woeful 140,000 now. 

Writing to the Office for Budget Responsibility, Home Builders Federation boss Stewart Baseley blasted: “Local Authorities, many of whom are reluctant to support the development of new housing for political reasons, have now been handed a NIMBY’s playbook enabling them to wash their hands of any serious responsibility for planning or the number of new homes their communities need.

“This severely undermines the UK’s ambitions for economic growth and leads to longer-term pressure on housing affordability, already a key contributor to the UK’s productivity shortcomings.”

Mr Baseley urged the OBR to consider the “risks” posed by watered down housing rules when producing future growth forecasts. 

“It is impossible to overstate how catastrophic these changes will be for the delivery of new homes,” he said. 

“Home Builders Federation and its members would welcome any attention the OBR can bring to these concerns with the tools at its disposal.”

Housing industry sources told Trending In The News new rules could also cost of hundreds of jobs.

As the cost of living crisis bites, plumbers and construction workers are among those set to lose out.

A housing insider said: “The industry feels the government has surrendered to a few backbenchers. 

“The people who’ll pay the price are the brickies and plumbers who’ll lose their jobs and the young families who won’t get their first step on the housing ladder.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “As the Secretary of State has made clear, our target of building 300,000 homes a year remains.

“Our reforms will put power back in the hands of local leaders and simplify the planning system to speed up house building.”