Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, today unveiled a new policy aimed at addressing the UK’s housing shortage by targeting less appealing sections of the Green Belt for development. The strategy requires that half of the new homes built on these sites must be affordable housing, potentially creating between 100,000 and 500,000 new homes.

Starmer outlined five main principles to guide development:

1. A focus on previously developed, or brownfield, areas within the Green Belt.

2. Selection of sites deemed of lower quality and less visually appealing.

3. A commitment that at least 50% of housing on these sites will be affordable.

4. Enhancements to local infrastructure, including schools and medical facilities.

5. Improvements to green amenities, like parks and woodlands.

Colin Brown, Head of Planning & Development at Carter Jonas, commented on the initiative, noting the pragmatic approach Labour is adopting to resolve the housing crisis. Brown supports the identification of “Grey Belt” land as a priority for development and stresses that tough choices will need to be made to meet the housing needs of a growing population. He highlighted the urgent requirement for housing those currently in need, recognising that some development on traditional Green Belt land is inevitable.