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George Osborne unveils plan for more village homes George Osborne calls for more rural starter homes
(about 5 hours later)
Chancellor George Osborne has said he wants to reform planning laws to make it easier for villages to build new homes to boost the rural economy. Chancellor George Osborne has said he wants to reform planning laws to make it easier for villages in England to build new starter homes.
Mr Osborne said such areas were an increasingly dynamic part of the economy, with 60,000 people moving from the city to the countryside each year. Mr Osborne said the changes would allow councils to allocate more sites for building homes specifically for people who already live or work in the area.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said the lack of rural homes was a scandal. He said he also wanted to improve transport, schools and broadband in rural areas to boost the rural economy.
Mr Osborne said he also wanted to improve telecommunications, transport and schools in rural areas. But Labour said the plans were ignoring the need for more affordable homes.
Affordable homesAffordable homes
The chancellor wants to introduce the measures as part of a rural productivity plan, which will be unveiled later in the day. The chancellor wants to extend the government's "starter homes" scheme, announced before the election for brownfield sites, to some villages.
This includes extending the government's "starter homes" scheme, announced before the election for brownfield sites, to some villages.
The initiative offers young local first-time home buyers a 20% discount on the price of the property. As it stands, the discount will be offered on homes up to £250,000 outside London and £450,000 inside London.The initiative offers young local first-time home buyers a 20% discount on the price of the property. As it stands, the discount will be offered on homes up to £250,000 outside London and £450,000 inside London.
Mr Osborne pledged to continue to protect the Green Belt but said he wanted to ensure that people's children were not forced out of rural communities because of a lack of affordable homes. The measures are part of Mr Osborne's new rural productivity plan, which will be unveiled later.
He said the government would "make it easier for people to stay in their rural communities and for newcomers to settle there too". Steve Reed, Labour's shadow local government minister, said the Conservatives' housing policies had made things worse for people in rural communities.
"The government says it wants to build starter homes in rural areas but it seems these will replace affordable homes to buy and rent - starter homes should be additional to affordable housing supply not instead of it," he said.
"In many rural areas buying or renting a home has become increasingly unaffordable. Yet the government has undermined the provision of affordable housing at every step by watering down requirements on developers to build new affordable homes."
'Enterprise zones''Enterprise zones'
He and Environment Secretary Liz Truss write in their joint newspaper editorial: "This government is determined to support the millions that already choose a rural life and those that are joining them. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Osborne said rural areas were an increasingly dynamic part of the economy, with 60,000 people moving from the city to the countryside each year.
"For rural areas, we want better internet and mobile phone communications, better transport, better schools, better skills, better housing, better business growth and better local government. He has pledged to continue to protect the Green Belt but said he wanted to ensure that people's children were not forced out of rural communities.
He said the government would "make it easier for people to stay in their rural communities and for newcomers to settle there too".
He and Environment Secretary Liz Truss write in their joint newspaper editorial: "For rural areas, we want better internet and mobile phone communications, better transport, better schools, better skills, better housing, better business growth and better local government.
"And we'll look at planning and regulatory constraints facing rural businesses. In a recent survey of rural businesses the main barrier to growth that most identified was planning restrictions."And we'll look at planning and regulatory constraints facing rural businesses. In a recent survey of rural businesses the main barrier to growth that most identified was planning restrictions.
"So for a start, we'll review rules around agricultural buildings such as barns to allow rural businesses to expand more easily.""So for a start, we'll review rules around agricultural buildings such as barns to allow rural businesses to expand more easily."
They add: "For the first time we'll encourage rural areas to apply to become enterprise zones, and will work on how best to get superfast broadband to those that are successful. The editorial also said the government was committing to triple the number of food and farming apprenticeships.
"To expand the skilled workforce in the countryside, we are committing to triple the number of food and farming apprenticeships."
The ministers criticised Labour for failing to prioritise rural areas when in office, saying that the party "has never understood the millions of people who live in the countryside, or even pretended to be interested in them".