EXCLUSIVE: Brighton Kemptown’s MP Slams Government Housing Reforms

"No power for local people to ensure it is the type of housing they need…. and whilst numbers are increased in certain areas, it is a little too little."

Those are among concerns raised by the MP for Brighton Kemptown, in response to the Government's planned housing reforms.

Under the Government’s New Standard Method, Brighton and Hove City Council could be required to build 1,520 homes a year.

Currently, the local authority is required to build 660 houses a year. But it has delivered an average of 392 in the last three years.

This is an increase of more than 287% on its current target, as previously reported by More Radio.

However, Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP says “the figures don’t match need” and the “priority should be council housing”.

He said:

“15,000 -25,000 people in Brighton are currently on the housing waiting list and council housing must be made available to them

“There is a real fear the ability to require affordable and social housing will actually be reduced, in a bid to just boost overall numbers. And for example in Brighton, the numbers still remain under ambitious for what is needed.”

Mr Russell-Moyle says around 3,0000 people move to Brighton every year. Therefore the city needs affordable rents, council housing and private rentals.

He says putting a greater burden on local authority's to provide land also “won’t necessarily provide the kind of housing we all need”.

He said:

“The reduction of the ability for council’s to be able to force developers to do certain things with land will potentially mean that you will see a lot of developers building quick and potentially nasty [housing]...

“There is a real danger that the best bits of land will be built with quick and nasty accommodation - leaving the more difficult and complex pieces of land left for more substantial developments - that in the long run will not be positive for the economy or the people in need.”

To summarise, he promised to challenge the Government on its proposals, he added:

“It doesn’t give power to the local people to ensure it’s the housing that they need, it doesn’t allow councils to ensure that it meets the basic standards and the contribution to local services is provided. Whilst it increases the numbers of houses in certain areas that need to be built, it is a little too little - in the sense that it increases the numbers but doesn’t actually meet them to the local need”.

Mr Russell-Moyle has pledged to “raise the issue in Parliament” and work with colleagues to reform the private sector, in a bid to "give greater rights to tenants".