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New homes concern for Herts CC
Hertfordshire County Council is concerned that, according to the National Housing Planning Advice Unit, by 2031 the East of England region could have to accommodate up to 734,000 new dwellings.
This could mean 129,000 new dwellings for Hertfordshire over a 20-year period, which amounts to 45,000 more homes than proposed in the 20 years covered by the East of England Plan and an increase of 55 per cent in the current rate of housing development.
Derrick Ashley, executive member for planning, external relations and waste, said: “We have continually stated that the original figures proposed in the East of England Plan - let alone these new figures - are unachievable without massive investment in Hertfordshire’s infrastructure. We have not yet seen any evidence that the government will be able to deliver the existing numbers and are deeply concerned that they might decide to push ahead with these unrealistic and unaffordable demands.
“We are also concerned that, within these figures, there are no absolute numbers for proposed affordable housing. Affordable housing must be a top priority, not just tagged on as a percentage of a grossly inappropriate total,” added Cllr Ashley.
It is now for the secretary of state to decide whether the possibility of building additional homes should be investigated. If it is, the East of England Regional Assembly will be asked to test the figures in a review of existing plans for the region. The county council expects to receive details of the government’s decision over the next four weeks.
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