It is crucial that we are able to provide housing that meets and suits the needs of residents through a process that doesn’t leave them feeling disenfranchised. Housing needs to add value to the community.

Developments need to be appropriate for the communities in which they are being set and local authorities need to have the ability to designate what types of houses are being built, in order to ensure that the housing needs of the local community are met.

This is why, alongside a number of other MPs, I have either tabled or put my name to a number of housing and planning related amendments to the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament.

The main amendment calls for a prohibition of mandatory housing number targets and the abolition of five-year land supply rule. Fundamentally, we need to be delivering more homes, in areas across the country where they are clearly needed – not where they are not. The problem with the five-year land supply rule is that rather than encouraging the delivery of homes, it encourages speculative applications for developments many of which will never see the light of day.

These applications artificially impact the calculation as regards housing need. There appear to be shortages where there are none. This isn’t good for the system or local communities.

The South West is not just a popular place to live – but also to holiday in.  Tourism is clearly a massive part of our local economy and it is crucial that the industry is supported, however, the lack of affordable housing (because it’s been turned into more lucrative unregulated Air B&B rentals) means that not only can local families not find housing, neither can key workers we need like doctors and nurses. So, we need to ensure a responsible approach. If you have a second property not to live in but as a business for holiday letting then that needs to be properly regulated and fair. At the moment Air B&B owners do not have to comply with the same costly rules as other holiday accommodation providers.

This is why I have tabled two specific amendments in relation to tourism properties. The first would mean that planning permission would be required for any domestic residential property being converted into a business asset for tourism.

The second would enable a new regulatory system to be introduced to ensure a level playing field is created across the tourism sector setting out the rights and responsibilities of the accommodation provide and the visitor.

The aim would be to ensure those that wish to this have to think very carefully about what is entailed and its cost. It would also give the local authority the power to say no to a change of use if it was clear this would adversely impact local residential housing needs.

Availability of housing is one thing – but its affordability is also a big issue. The problem we face in the South West is that salaries are low and house prices and rents are high, therefore a 20% discount on market value or rent simply isn’t “affordable” for most!

Most government schemes whether its renting, buying or shared ownership can’t and don’t recognise that the relationship between salaries and accommodation costs vary hugely across the country.  We need a new flexible calculation of affordability which relates the discount to the local market conditions.

Of equal concern is the lack of social and community housing. Housing Associations were established to take over the Council’s role to create social housing “council housing” as we knew it. But these associations have too little power and too little cash to do the job. If the new right to buy scheme is to work, those properties sold need to be replaced - immediately.

The new Prime Minister will have much to do – but housing must be a top priority!

If you would like to book a surgery appointment or raise a specific issue, please call my office on 01626 368277 or email [email protected]