Proposals include a new agency with beefed-up compulsory purchase powers
The Liberal Democrats have announced a raft of policies which the party鈥檚 leader Vince Cable says will boost housebuilding activity across the UK.
In an interview with 星空传媒, due to be published this week, the former business secretary (pictured) blasted current housebuilding practices, pointing to what he called the failing 鈥渄eveloper-led model鈥� which he said 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 work because land prices are too high and by the time this is factored into the price of houses with the developers鈥� margin, they鈥檙e just unaffordable鈥�.
And today at the RIBA鈥檚 Portland Place headquarters, the party has outlined a series of plans which it claimed will help crack the problem.
It is proposing an arm鈥檚-length and not-for-profit development agency which would be armed with the power to buy land at a low cost.
The Lib Dems also want to tackle the controversial issue of greenbelt land by allowing some sites to be built on in exchange for others remaining protected.
Government should also be required to release un-used land, with departments such as the Ministry of Defence expected to face sanctions for what the Lib Dems called 鈥減ublic sector land banking鈥�.
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