Housing Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) threatened ‘not in my backyard’ objectors that the Government ‘is not going to be your friend’
Ministers last night warned they will not be on the side of Nimbys as they launched a drive to build hundreds of thousands of new homes.
Housing Secretary Sajid Javid threatened ‘not in my backyard’ objectors that the Government ‘is not going to be your friend’.
His warning came ahead of the launch today of a £900million fund to encourage housebuilders to start work on up to 200,000 homes.
Mr Javid and Chancellor Philip Hammond will announce cash for 133 projects across the country to get much-needed homes built quicker.
Under the schemes, the government will agree to pay for infrastructure such as new roads, cycle paths, flood defences or land mediation.
Without this financial support these projects would struggle to go ahead or take years for work to begin, delaying the homes communities need.
Ahead of the announcement, Mr Javid told The Times: ‘We’ve got a housing crisis. We’ve got no time for anyone who is just anti-development for the sake of it.
‘If you are nimby, the Government is not going to be your friend. We are on the side of people who want more homes.’
Mr Javid and Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured) will announce cash for 133 projects across the country to get much-needed homes built quicker
In November’s Budget, Mr Hammond pledged to build 300,000 extra houses a year by the mid-2020s, which would be ‘the biggest annual increase in housing supply since 1970’.
Mr Hammond will this morning say: ‘Today marks the first step of the multi-billion pound investment we announced at the Budget to help build the homes our country needs.
‘This fund finances vital infrastructure such as roads, schools and bridges, which will kick-start housing development in some of Britain’s highest-demand areas.
Without this financial support these projects would struggle to go ahead or take years for work to begin, delaying the homes communities need
‘This support will help us meet our ambitious plan of building 300,000 new homes each year and ensure we have enough housing in areas which need it most.’
Mr Javid will add: ‘Our priority is building the homes this country desperately needs.
‘This first wave of investment totalling £866 million will help get up to 200,000 homes off the ground, making a huge difference to communities across the country.
‘This is just one of the many ways this Government is taking action to get Britain building homes again.’
Grants awarded money include £10million for a new highway in Leicester that will ‘unlock’ 3,300 homes, £10million for construction of a bypass in Botley, Hampshire that will aid the delivery of 1,000 homes and £3.6 million for drainage works, new roads and footpaths in Sheffield to help work start on 400 homes.