3 October 2007
Housing Minister Yvette Cooper spent over an hour answering your questions in today’s live webchat.
Yvette was appointed Housing Minister in June 2007 as part of Gordon Brown’s first Government. Her responsibilities include housing Key Workers, ecotowns, planning, regeneration, urban policy and design, and the Thames Gateway.
Read the transcript:
Moderator says: Housing minister Yvette Cooper will be here on Wednesday 3 October at 10:30 BST to answer your questions on Housing. Log in to post your questions to the minister.
Moderator says: Good morning and welcome to today’s webchat on housing with Yvette Cooper. The Minister has just arrived so we’ll be starting in a few minutes.
Yvette says: Good morning everyone. Thank you for all your questions — I’ll try to answer as many as I can as fast as I can. However I’m doing the typing myself so please excuse any errors or delays.
Steve Taylor: How does the Minister reconcile the desire to construct 3 million new houses by 2021 with the existence and implementation of housing moratoriums by LPAs (in my own area of Stratford on Avon, we can no longer build anything until 2012 at the earliest).
Yvette replies: I think every town and city needs to build more homes. We have an ageing, growing population with more people living alone and demand for housing is growing. If the number of new homes doesn’t keep up, it is little wonder that long term house prices increase. That’s why we’ve said we need 3 million more homes by 2020 — so that first time buyers in the future can get on the housing ladder. But all councils need to start identifying more land quickly. Each council faces different circumstances and its not for me to second guess the detail of their decisions but I know that there are still councils in many areas who are still operating moratoriums when they need to start changing their approach.
Jim Gillespie: Why are the Government allowing new house builders to build on flood plains when clearly we have a problem with floods in this country which can only get worse?
Yvette replies: Jim we’ve actually toughened the rules to prevent house building in flood risk areas. Too many homes were built in flood risk areas in the past. New rules mean that councils have to consult the Environment Agency and if they won’t take the Environment Agency’s advice, then government is prepared to take over the decision. The Environment Agency will look not just at whether the development is in a flood plain but also whether there are good enough flood defences. So for example I’m sitting typing in 10 Downing Street — right in the middle of a flood plain — but the area is well protected by the Thames Barrier.
Karen Doran: What is the government doing to make sure their policy on housing (regeneration and growth) is aligned to policies designed to promote economic growth. Could the Minister give practical examples of the opportunities this presents to local authorities in their place shaping role?
Yvette replies: You are right Karen that new homes need to be planned alongside new jobs — as we are doing in the Thames Gateway (new window), which is a major area of regeneration and housing growth. But housing and economic policies need to work closely together for existing communities too. Look at what cities like Manchester and Birmingham have done in their city centres — creating new jobs, but bringing people back into the cities to live as well.
Simon de Mulberry: How are you going to encourage school children and young people to take more of an interest in issues like planning and environmental sustainability so that they dont make some of the mistakes we have in the past?
Yvette replies: I think children and young people are probably already more interested in environmental sustainability than many of their parents. Hopefully many of them will be interested in ideas like eco-towns, and zero-carbon homes or schools. And you are right that the plans we draw up today for our communities will affect the next generation for decades to come. Though I wouldn’t recommend attempting to enthuse primary school children on the intricacies of the planning system!
John Spencer: Why not force house builders to include solar water heaters and grey water systems in all new-build housing?
Yvette replies: By 2016 house builders will have to make sure all homes are zero carbon. By 2010 they will have to meet a big increase in standards, with a further improvement by 2013 before the final zero carbon standard kicks in. So they will need to use things like solar water heaters, or ground source heat pumps and other energy efficiency improvements.
The timetable we’ve set is more ambitious than any country in the world and should make a real difference. However I don’t think the government should specify particular kinds of technologies, as different technologies will develop and be appropriate for different areas.
Andrew Matheson: The Manister needs community support to meet housing targets and yet community-led housing is now virtually impossible, because it is by definition small-scale and not as cheap as mass housing. But it is very sustainable. Would the Minister consider reinstating funding supplements to support community-led initiatives?
Yvette replies: Andrew, we have set out investment plans for £8 billion to build new affordable housing over the next three years — that means a big increase in new social housing as well as more shared ownership homes too. But we want to see all kinds of different ways of building and we are piloting some community land trusts as a new way to deliver more affordable homes.
Eileen Griffiths: Further to the Hill’s Review what is the Governments view on what role should social housing play in the 21st century?
Yvette replies: The Hills Review (new window) showed just how important social housing is, providing quality housing and security for those who can’t afford to own. But we can also improve social housing — including helping people who want to move around from area to area, promoting more mixed communities and helping tenants into work. We will set out more responses to some of John Hills’ proposals later in the year.
bernard caine: With 1.6million on the housing waiting list what steps are your Government going to take to address this problem.
When are Private Landlords(non multiple) going to be regulated as regards Decent Homesand Rents in order to stop the exploitation of vulnerable tenants due to the long waiting list for social housing.
Thank you
Yvette replies: We need to build more social housing. We’ve set out plans to increase the number of new social homes from 30,000 this year to 45,000 a year by 2010, with the aim of reaching 50,000 after that. New protection has been introduced for private tenants — including new tenancy deposit schemes to prevent dodgy landlords keeping all the deposit. We’re keen to make sure councils are implementing the measures to improve private rented accommodation too.
Steve Taylor: Would the Minister accept that building "eco towns" is a stalinist solution - we already have many perfectly good village settlements throughout the country but unfortunately for the last 10 years we have not been allowed to build in them - hence unaffordability, young people leaving in droves, school closures through lack of pupils etc..etc. Far better (and quicker) to simply relax planning in villages / small towns.
Yvette replies: Existing towns and cities do need to be able to build more homes. And we need more affordable housing built sensitively in villages too as rural areas face real problems with affordability. We changed the planning rules last April on the advice of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission to make that easier. However I also think we need new towns too, given the scale of housing demand. And its right that they should be built to much higher environmental standards than we have ever had in this country before. But we are waiting for councils and local communities to come forward with ideas and proposals (not something I suspect Stalin would have done) and many are already doing so.
Barry Turnbull: Will Government give consideration to declaring at least one of the 10 proposed eco towns, an existing township rather than creation of a new town, if so, what support (financial and other) would the Govt give to this pathfinder?
Yvette replies: The idea is that the eco-towns will be new towns. However I agree with you Barry that there is huge scope to use the same ideas and principles in existing towns as well — particularly in areas where there are major new developments planned so you can use new technology to heat and power the homes. We’re already looking at possibilities but would be interested in local proposals.
S: What has sparked your change in thinking regarding the Merton Rule? There were such high hopes following your support, and I am finding it difficult to understand your reasoning behind preventing a completely sensible and exciting idea that is already a success.
Yvette replies: What change in thinking? I think there’s been a lot of misinformation on this. We’ve set out a really ambitious zero carbon timetable. The only way to meet it is for us to get much more use of renewable energy not less. As part of delivering that councils should be able to use "Merton rules" which promote renewable energy through the planning system. They must test them properly through the planning process — as Merton did, and as the London Mayor is doing at the moment, because they shouldn’t just set arbitrary targets as an excuse to prevent new homes being built. But Merton rules aren’t enough. Councils also need to look at what more they can do using off site renewables as well as on site renewables, and at whether they have particular sites where they can go further due to local circumstances.
Gary Meager: Home Information Packs (HIPs) are intended to improve the home buying and selling process. Good idea, but is not working. Why should I pay twice for the services of professionals, and why should I fund the development of an energy data base for HMG.
Yvette replies: The most important thing about home information packs is the energy rating (new window) — just like a fridge rating for homes. For the first time buyers (and sellers) get information on the level of the fuel bills, the level of carbon emisssions and practical things you can do to cut both. I think that’s a good thing both for home buyers and for tackling climate change.
Andrew Richardson: I run an Estate Agency in Chichester, and currently have 12 houses for sale with HIPS, one of which has been agreed. Not one person/viewer has requested to see any of our HIPs. Additionally, we have agreed a sale on a HIP house; when I informed the buyers solicitor and asked her whether she would like an email or hard copy of the HIP, she replied that she wasn’t in the slightest bit interested in seeing it. Consequently my vendor client has spent an additional £500 on a HIP that no-one is interested in, and the purchaser is still having to spend the same as before on her conveyancing. Can Ms Cooper please explain to me, and the industry and their clients, how can this possibly be a neutral on-cost, and how can it possibly speed up the system if nobody is the slightest bit interested in looking at it?
Yvette replies: HIPs and Energy Certificates are new. When energy ratings were first introduced for fridges or washing machines few people took any notice of them. Several years on if you walk into Comet or Currys you can hardly find any white goods that aren’t A rated. Providing information has changed the market. The information on searches is often most useful for solicitors and estate agents, and buyers should make sure the HIP is provided to the buyer’s solicitor as it can clearly save buyers money. Also, the introduction of HIPs has already pushed the cost of searches down. Previously most of us had no idea how much we were spending on searches — the solicitor just added on the cost at the end. Now they are included early on, local authorities and search providers have an incentive to cut costs and many have already done so.
Brian: I live and work in London, earn a decent salary but have little hope of ever buying a place to live any time soon. What are Gov doing to make homes affordable and realistically how long is this going to take before I can own a property like my parents were able to buy when earning a lot less?
Yvette replies: For many would-be first time buyers, house prices have become a real problem. Over the last ten years low mortgage rates have helped over a million more people become homeowners, but as long as this country doesn’t build enough homes, first time buyers will be priced out of the market. And it isn’t just a problem in London, right across the country there are people in the same situation. That’s why I think in the long term we need to build so many more new homes, and in the short term we also want to see more shared ownership homes that can help people get started. Brian, you might want to try your local Homebuy Agent, which is a one stop shop that could tell you if you might be eligible for any of the shared ownership deals in your area.
More on the HomeBuy scheme (new window)
alistair siddons: Dear Minister,
Please comment on your plans to increase the stock of affordable housing. My impression is that much of the new build, in London in particular, is still beyond the reach of many young people, even when offered by housing trusts on a part owership scheme.
Of course, the emphasis is rightly on key workers, but I understand that many non key workers are unable to get on the first foot of the housing ladder.
Yvette replies: Alistair, like Brian, you might want to try your nearest Homebuy Agent to see if there is any help you can get. We are keen to extend shared ownership homes to others as well as key workers who can’t afford a home. But the blunt truth is we still need to build a lot more and as you will know there is often a lot of opposition to new homes.
Find out about HomeBuy schemes in your area (new window)
Nick: Yvette, should local and regional authorities be better incentivised to release enough land for housing?If so, how?
Yvette replies: Councils are now obliged to identify at least 5 years’ worth of good sites for homes that can be used immediately, with up to 15 years of sites in plans. Some councils are doing exactly that already, others aren’t. We’ve also been trawling through the government land register to find disused public sector sites and have identified hundreds already. But I do think that we should give more support to councils and communtiies who are doing their bit. We’re proposing to provide £500m over the next three years to support those councils who are bringing forward more land.
john M: When you say that councils should be able to use Merton rules but that they mustn’t set arbitrary limits can you explain what limits you think are sensible and what framework you propose for setting and advancing these in the future?
Yvette replies: The overall framework is the ten year timetable to get to zero carbon homes. And we are setting national standards to underpin that. We need councils to be able to deliver more homes as well as support higher environmental standards. So the approach they take to the Merton rule and to renewables in their area needs to be compatible with building more homes, and more affordable homes, too.
But the answer to your question will be different in different areas, depending on things like the local opportunities that are available for using renewables and the scale of development being planned. We’ll be setting out more detail in new planning rules on climate change later this year.
Janine Edbrooke: There is a lot of housing development at the moment, how are you making sure new communities are fully inclusive for disabled people?
Most new developments I see are flats with no lifts and townhouses, not accessible housing for people with mobility problems. This is desperately needed in the private sector, not just affordable housing. Building regulations part M are not enough to ensure accessibility.
Yvette replies: I agree, especially with an ageing population, we need far more homes across the country to be properly accessible. We want all Registered Social Landlords to build to Lifetime Home Standards (new window) which means new homes can be easily adaptable for disabled people. We are urging private developers to follow suit, and are looking at ways to increase this through the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Charles: Why have the government let the market and buy-to-letters price out first time buyers over the last 5-10 years (see e.g. recent land registry figures on reduced purchases of properties up to £250k value)? Surely this is an obvious example of extreme laissez-faire economic management where the negative impact on the younger generation should have warranted some quicker and more effective intervention.
Yvette replies: The private rented sector is a very important part of the housing market, so investment in homes to rent is needed. However I am particularly concerned about "Buy to Leave" where investors buy properties on a speculative basis and then leave them empty for a long time waiting for the price to rise. Local councils should use their powers to deal with empty properties if they have a problem.
Mona Johansson: In order to secure affordable land for homes in rural areas you need to be able to guarantee the long-term perpetuity of both affordability and local connection. Does the Minister have any thoughts on how this can be dealt with as the tools currently in place are not delivering as well as could be on this? Many thanks
Yvette replies: Community Land Trusts (new window) may be one option. We’ve also changed the rules to make it easier to ensure homes are affordable in perpetuity. We also need to put more investment into new social housing in rural areas too and we will do this over the next few years.
Andrew Towell: homebuy is that a good idea or are we really playing musical chairs with peoples lives? simple sums 4 families 3 homes = 1 homeless family it doesnt matter how much money you give them. when will somone realise we need homes now?
Yvette replies: I agree. We need more homes. The level of housebuilding is now at its highest rate since 1990, but it still isn’t enough. This country hasn’t built enough homes for a generation and as long as people continue to oppose increased housing we will see growing pressure on council waiting lists and on first time buyers. That’s not fair on future generations, and that’s why we need more homes.
Yvette says: Thank you for all the questions. Everyone else here is despairing at how slowly i type, so sorry if i didn’t get through all the answers fast enough. Best wishes, Yvette.
Moderator says: That’s all we had time for today, and we’re very grateful to Yvette for giving up her time.
The next webchat will take place on Tuesday 9 October at 10:40 BST with Peter Hain, the Work and Pensions Secretary.
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