Out-Law News 1 min. read
27 Sep 2012, 4:47 pm
Party members will now demand that the party leadership attempt to ensure that the coalition Government adopt measures in its 'Decent Homes for All' policy. That policy includes proposals for a major house building programme aiming to reach a rate of 300,000 new built houses per year. Other measures include allowing local authorities to vary the rent payable by council tenants according to their ability to pay.
The membership sets party policy but it will be up to Liberal Democrat ministers to convince the Government to adopt proposals as Government policy.
The delegates approved three amendments to the paper in their vote. These called for the party to reject moves to sell off high-value social housing and for power to be given to local authorities to tax vacant developable land. Concerns were also noted about Government plans to allow section 106 requirements to be reduced.
"Unless decent homes for families at a price they can afford becomes a priority for our Government, and unless you make it an equal priority, as we do, dealing with the debt and the deficit that is the economic crisis, we will leave a social crisis which is unacceptable in this century and this decade," said Liberal Democrats deputy leader Simon Hughes.
"We must now get the Government to agree our proposed target of 300,000 homes a year. We must, in the next Budget, change the tax policy (to) incentivise developers to build on brownfield housing sites now," he said.
Delegates also backed a motion calling on the Government to withdraw its proposed planning reforms, including measures to allow home owners to build larger extensions without the need for planning permission, a relaxation of permitted development rules for three years, and plans to allow some developers to appeal directly to the Planning Inspectorate rather than the councils.
"It is a coalition package, not a Liberal Democrat package. A Liberal Democrat package would look different," Communities Minister Don Foster told delegates at the conference.
"I think we can push to make some improvements to the proposals. I understand your concerns in this motion and I am listening. It is not a done deal. There will be full consultation," he said.
