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Planning change to create 200,000building jobs
Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed the government is determined to revamp the planning system to boost house building despite fierce objections from countryside campaigners.Osborne’s firm stance comes as a report released today claims 200,000 new construction jobs could be created by returning house building to pre-war levels.A consultation is currently under way on the Draft National Planning Policy which aims to streamline the current 1,000 page rule book to just 52 and shift decisions in favour of developers.Osborne told the Financial Times: “No-one should underestimate our determination to win this battle.“This is our opportunity to unlock the new investment and new jobs the country needs. We cannot afford to miss it.”His comments came as a report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research outlined how a house building boom could boost the UK economy.The report highlights how construction levels of 300,000 homes a year in the 1930s helped drag the country out of the Great Depression Work started on only 95,445 homes last year.A return to the 1930s levels by 2015 would create 201,000extra construction jobs.The CEBR’s Shehan Mohamed said: “With fiscal and monetary policy measures exhausted, the government should consider how scaling back regulation can help bolster growth.“One such measure is an easing of planning laws which would help create thousands of new jobs in construction.”
Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed the government is determined to revamp the planning system to boost house building despite fierce objections from countryside campaigners.Osborne’s firm stance comes as a report released today claims 200,000 new construction jobs could be created by returning house building to pre-war levels.A consultation is currently under way on the Draft National Planning Policy which aims to streamline the current 1,000 page rule book to just 52 and shift decisions in favour of developers.Osborne told the Financial Times: “No-one should underestimate our determination to win this battle.“This is our opportunity to unlock the new investment and new jobs the country needs. We cannot afford to miss it.”His comments came as a report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research outlined how a house building boom could boost the UK economy.The report highlights how construction levels of 300,000 homes a year in the 1930s helped drag the country out of the Great Depression Work started on only 95,445 homes last year.A return to the 1930s levels by 2015 would create 201,000extra construction jobs.The CEBR’s Shehan Mohamed said: “With fiscal and monetary policy measures exhausted, the government should consider how scaling back regulation can help bolster growth.“One such measure is an easing of planning laws which would help create thousands of new jobs in construction.”
