A FURIOUS Tory row erupted today over government plans to build 250,000 new homes in Cambridge.
Delivering a speech from the regenerated district of Kings Cross London, Housing Secretary Michael Gove vowed to make Cambridge “Britain’s Silicon Valley”.
Minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, outlined his plans to build thousands of new homes in Cambridge during a major speech in London this morning
But just minutes before he started speaking, angry Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire, Anthony Browne, pledged to “do everything” he can to stop the new homes.
Mr Browne tweeted: “I will do everything I can to stop the Government’s nonsense plans to impose mass housebuilding on Cambridge, where all major developments are now blocked by the Environment Agency because we have quite literally run out of water.
“Our streams, rivers and ponds already run dry.”
Hitting back at the MP, Rishi Sunak said: “No one is doing mass house building in Cambridge, this is about adding a new urban quarter to Cambridge, which is something that local communities have spoken about.
“And of course that will be done in dialogue with local communities.”
Mr Gove responded by insisting Tory backbenchers will realise his plans are in the “national interest”.
He said: “It will be the case that I’m sure that Conservative backbenchers and others once they have a chance to look at our plans will realise that this is in the national interest and that’s why we’re acting.”
This morning the Housing Secretary unveiled his long-awaited plan to tackle the chronic homes shortage crisis blighting Britain.
Empty department stores and offices will be turned into much-needed housing.
And new flexibilities will allow takeaways and betting shops turn into homes.
Red tape will also be torn up to make it easier for homeowners to convert their lofts.
Mr Gove insisted the government WILL meet its manifesto pledge of having built one million new houses by the end of this parliament.
He added that new developments will be focussed around cities rather than the countryside.
“Underpinning our long-term plan for economic recovery is a long-term plan for housing,” Mr Gove said.
“And the first and most important component of that plan is our programme of urban regeneration and a new inner city renaissance.
“Renaissance because we want to ensure that our cities have all the ingredients for success that we identified in our levelling-up white paper last year as the Medici model.”
Mr Gove added: “We are unequivocally, unapologetically and intensively concentrating our biggest efforts in the hearts of our cities.
“Because that’s the right thing to do economically, environmentally, and culturally.”
