Vacant shops could be turned into homes under new proposals
Vacant shops, takeaways, and bookies could be turned into new homes under Government proposals announced on Monday.
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the Government will meet its manifesto commitment to build one million homes this parliament.
The proposals involve prioritising building in inner city areas, rather than in the countryside.
Michael Gove, the secretary of state for levelling up, housing, and communities, said: “Most people agree that we need to build more homes – the question is how we go about it.
“Rather than concreting over the countryside, we have set out a plan today to build the right homes in the right places where there is community support – and we’re putting the resources behind it to help make this vision a reality.”
The Government has also announced plans to regenerate three major cities: Central London, Leeds, and Cambridge.
The proposals have garnered support from institutions such as AstraZeneca, Darktrace, and the Royal Town planning institute.
However, shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy was critical of the proposals, describing them as a “drop in the ocean compared to what is needed to fix the housing crisis”.
“We don’t need more reviews or press releases, we need bold action to get Britain building”, she added.