TURNING old takeaways into homes will help the Government hit its pledge to build one million more, Rishi Sunak will say tomorrow.
But the PM will insist the Tories must not “concrete over the countryside” and instead build or convert most new properties in towns and cities.
The PM will say turning old takeaways into homes will help the Government hit its pledge to build one million more
Planning reforms are due to be announced by the Housing Secretary Michael Gove, including plans to cut red tape and allow shops and takeaways to be converted into homes.
It has been more than four years since ministers first floated the idea of relaxing the rules as a way of easing the housing crisis — as well as ridding high streets of noisy shops that have been linked to anti-social behaviour.
Today the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said Mr Gove will go further than 2019 reforms to allow takeaways of over 150 sq metres to convert after just two years of operation.
At the 2019 election the Tories vowed to build one million homes by 2024.
But inflation and two years of lockdowns badly hit the construction industry.
Mr Gove will unveil intentions to invest £24million into a planning skills delivery fund to help clear backlogs.
He said: “Most people agree that we need to build more homes — the question is how we go about it.”
The PM will say tomorrow in a speech in the Midlands: “We need to keep going because we want more people to realise the dream of owning their own home.
“We won’t do that by concreting over the countryside – our plan is to build the right homes where there is the most need and where there is local support, in the heart of Britain’s great cities.”
However, the Local Government Association’s chair Cllr Shaun Davies, warned: “Premises such as offices, barns, and shops are not always suitable for housing.”
