Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announces Labour's housebuilding plans (Image: Getty)
Labour has “shredded” housing targets in London where homes are most needed while forcing Tory areas to turbocharge building, the Conservatives have warned.
The capital’s housebuilding goal has been slashed by 20,000 homes, Angela Rayner said.
But North East and North West England will see a 99% and 75% rise in new home targets respectively.
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick said: “Labour have shredded housing targets in London, where we need homes the most and the potential productivity gains are greatest.
“Starmer’s plan might work for London Labour, but it is bad for Britain.
“Milk lasts longer than Starmer’s ‘country first, party second’ pledge has.”
Labour's new method would require the local Tory-controlled council in Fareham to build 794 new houses.
This is nearly seven times the average number of new homes built in the Hampshire town - where Tory ex-home secretary Suella Braverman is the local MP - in 2020/21 and 2022/23 of just 115.
Neil O’Brien, Tory MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, said: “Cutting housing numbers in London and our large cities while promising to build more on the coast of Cumbria is likely to mean even higher housing costs in our cities - the place where they are already highest.”
Don't miss... Angela Rayner ditches big housebuilding rule and you're not going to like it [LATEST]
It was suggested to Ms Rayner that Labour’s new method for calculating how many houses needed to be built had put predominantly Tory areas of the country at a disadvantage.
Ms Rayner said: “The method that we are using, what we are consulting on, is first of all around housing stock, so what they currently have, and then it is about affordability.
“So the reason that their target will have gone up is because they are not meeting the needs locally and therefore that has to be met.
“But I will be open with your listeners, the majority of places have had an uplift in their target because year upon year the Conservatives promised that they would build 300,000 homes and they failed to meet that target, year upon year.
“And that is why I have had to set the target at what it is and it is based on what the actual need is out there to solve this housing crisis.”
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said local authorities may need to “release some elements” of green belt land to meet housing targets.
Labour’s manifesto pledged to build more than 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.
Don't miss... Map shows how many new homes Angela Rayner wants to build where you live [LATEST]
Trending
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Ms Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, also defended her party’s move to drop the requirement for new homes to be “beautiful”.
She said: “Beautiful is so subjective. Actually, within the planning framework, there is a lot of specifications about keeping with the local [environment]. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder anyway.
“It’s actually about [being] in keeping with the area, it’s about protecting nature and having access to nature, it’s about making sure that buildings are safe, they’re warm, they’re sustainable. So there’s a number of guidelines and rules that a developer has to follow.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Nigel Farage's five-word response as he's called ‘Tommy Robinson in a suit' over Southport
293 Comments
UK firms addicted to cheap foreign labour - and British workers are sidelined
81 Comments
Labour accused of 'shredding' housing targets in London despite urgent need
79 Comments
Labour swiftly stabbed in the back by union after pandering to junior doctors' pay demands
145 Comments
Lord Frost says only one Tory candidate is speaking honestly and can defeat Labour
51 Comments
I'm a pensions expert - huge problem with Winter Fuel Payment cut means Labour will U-turn
1304 Comments
Nigel Farage accused of being ‘Tommy Robinson in a suit' by murdered MP's furious husband
Comments
Rioting thugs have no respect for the grieving Southport families, Yvette Cooper blasts
797 Comments
Rachel Reeves admits taxes will RISE as Tory fury mounts over failure to defy unions
228 Comments
Kemi Badenoch blasts leftie smears as she's accused of 'bullying' civil servants
179 Comments
I know only one candidate can win the Red Wall back for the Tories - it's Robert Jenrick
52 Comments
Southport stabbings: Keir Starmer heckled as furious local asks 'how many more children?'
1646 Comments
Rachel Reeves 'betrayed' voters by ditching the cap on social care costs, expert says
141 Comments
'I'm disgusted by Rachel Reeves' attack on pensioners - it makes life not worth living'
614 Comments
Incredible map shows how many new homes Angela Rayner wants to build where you live
98 Comments
Angela Rayner's set to ditch big housebuilding rule and you're not going to like it
851 Comments
New ￡320m dual carriageway saving drivers from traffic nightmare has been scrapped
121 Comments
The incredible ￡38bn plan to build a new airport in the middle of major UK river
15 Comments
Fury in European seaside towns as camper van visitors block beauty spot views
4 Comments
Farmers furious over 'new' UK National Park plans after mass tourism fears
2 Comments
Nigel Farage's five-word response as he's called ‘Tommy Robinson in a suit' over Southport
293 Comments
UK firms addicted to cheap foreign labour - and British workers are sidelined
81 Comments
Labour accused of 'shredding' housing targets in London despite urgent need
79 Comments
Labour swiftly stabbed in the back by union after pandering to junior doctors' pay demands
145 Comments
Lord Frost says only one Tory candidate is speaking honestly and can defeat Labour
51 Comments
I'm a pensions expert - huge problem with Winter Fuel Payment cut means Labour will U-turn
1304 Comments
Nigel Farage accused of being ‘Tommy Robinson in a suit' by murdered MP's furious husband
Comments
Rioting thugs have no respect for the grieving Southport families, Yvette Cooper blasts
797 Comments
Rachel Reeves admits taxes will RISE as Tory fury mounts over failure to defy unions
228 Comments
Kemi Badenoch blasts leftie smears as she's accused of 'bullying' civil servants
179 Comments
I know only one candidate can win the Red Wall back for the Tories - it's Robert Jenrick
52 Comments
Southport stabbings: Keir Starmer heckled as furious local asks 'how many more children?'
1646 Comments
Rachel Reeves 'betrayed' voters by ditching the cap on social care costs, expert says
141 Comments
'I'm disgusted by Rachel Reeves' attack on pensioners - it makes life not worth living'
614 Comments
Incredible map shows how many new homes Angela Rayner wants to build where you live
98 Comments
Angela Rayner's set to ditch big housebuilding rule and you're not going to like it
851 Comments
New ￡320m dual carriageway saving drivers from traffic nightmare has been scrapped
121 Comments
The incredible ￡38bn plan to build a new airport in the middle of major UK river
15 Comments
Fury in European seaside towns as camper van visitors block beauty spot views
4 Comments
Farmers furious over 'new' UK National Park plans after mass tourism fears
2 Comments
Nigel Farage's five-word response as he's called ‘Tommy Robinson in a suit' over Southport
293 Comments
UK firms addicted to cheap foreign labour - and British workers are sidelined
81 Comments
Labour accused of 'shredding' housing targets in London despite urgent need
79 Comments
Labour swiftly stabbed in the back by union after pandering to junior doctors' pay demands
145 Comments
Lord Frost says only one Tory candidate is speaking honestly and can defeat Labour
51 Comments
I'm a pensions expert - huge problem with Winter Fuel Payment cut means Labour will U-turn
1304 Comments
Nigel Farage accused of being ‘Tommy Robinson in a suit' by murdered MP's furious husband
Comments
“Beautiful? Beautiful means nothing really, it means one thing to one person and another thing to another.”
Mr Pennycook said new housing will be prioritised on brownfield or greyfield sites but that some green belt may need to be “released”.