Ed Davey on how to get more houses built

Via The Guardian, here’s what Ed Davey said on the BBC:

I can take you to places both in my constituency in other areas controlled by the Liberal Democrats where we are building lots of houses. But here’s the key question.

The problem I have with the government’s approach is they have a developer-led approach to housing, and that has resulted in the wrong types of homes being in the wrong places. Don’t believe me? That is what Theresa May said.

What Liberal Democrats want is a community-led approach to housing, and all the evidence shows that results in more houses being built that more meet the needs of the local people. They’re in the right place. They have the social infrastructures.

I’m really proud that’s the Liberal Democrat policy, and that’s the approach we’ll adopt where we’re in power. So I’d say at the next election, if you want the right sorts of homes built in your community, vote Liberal Democrat, because they’re going to listen to the community. And they’re going to make sure the local planning – with all the controls that central government put on it, and they put loads of controls that are really unfair, actually undemocratic. But with all those controls Liberal Democrat councillors will listen to local people.

For more on this theme, take a listen to my podcast with Cllr Keith House, leader of Eastleigh Council and housebuilder extraordinaire.

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