Housing is set to play a major role in an election campaign for the first time since the introduction of the right to buy, housing professionals who are standing as candidates have claimed.

In the south of England, many Conservative candidates are vigorously opposing Labour’s Communities Plan, which will see large numbers of new homes built over the next 15 years.

Garry Hague, who has worked for various developers in the sector since 1999, is standing as Tory candidate in Thurrock, Essex. The area has been earmarked for more than 15,000 new homes. He said: “Having worked for the property and construction sectors, I think that if social housing is done well it is great, but we are not in favour of communities being bulldozed.”

But Andrew Mackinley, who is standing against Hague, disagrees. “There is enough brownfield land and derelict land [to take the new housing]. It is a growth area and we need low-cost housing to meet the shortage.”

Jen Smith, who is standing for the Liberal Democrats in Basingstoke, agrees. The press officer for housing association Circle 33 said: “This is a question of people like me, in their 20s, being unable to get a foot on the housing ladder.”

Maggie Punyer, an events director for Inside Communications, who is standing for the Conservatives in Harrogate, said: “This is the first election since the late 70s when access to housing is being regularly mentioned on the doorstep.”

Source

Housing Today