Communities secretary Eric Pickles has applauded the house building focus in chancellor George Osborne’s Budget.
Claiming house building was up by almost a quarter, Osborne today said the Government would undertake planning reforms, offer £500m to small building firms and launch Help to Buy extensions.
Reacting to the speech, Pickles said: ‘This year’s Budget shows how house building is central to our long-term economic plan, with measures to get Britain building and support to help hard-working people realise their dream of home ownership.
‘Today’s multi-billion package will boost house building, particularly on brownfield land, create new jobs and allow up to an additional 120,000 aspiring homeowners to buy a home.
‘The moves will get workers back on site across the country, including at large sites like Ebbsfleet, help smaller builders to restart work on stalled developments, and make sure people who want to build their own home can.’
However, Labour leader Ed Miliband questioned the quantity of housing provided by the Government.
‘[Osborne] talked about housing today, but what has he actually delivered?’ Miliband said.
‘They’ve overseen the lowest house building since the 1920s and rents have risen twice as fast as wages.
‘At the heart of the argument we will have over the next fourteen months is this question: whose recovery is it? Under them it’s a recovery for the few not the many.’
