Starmer Will Build On Green Belt.

Building on the green belt is a controversial topic in the UK. It means building on green land often land which is looked on as a reserve for nature.

The alternative is building on brown land or turning unused buildings into apartments. The UK has a housing shortage when it comes to government housing for rent (known in the UK as social or council housing). During the time of Margaret Thatcher (and thereafter), people were encouraged to buy their government-rented housing. This empowered tenants to own their own homes for the first time instead of renting. While this was and is a good idea, it also meant a shortage of housing stock. A shortage because council houses were not being built either not at all or very few.

The Conservative government has been trying to help those who wish to get on the housing ladder (those who wish to buy). It has the right to buy scheme which helps people to buy their private properties. The government has also been building council housing stock. The government also talks about affordable housing which will be housing people who can afford to buy. But what is affordable housing? That depends on how much you have or are willing to pay for a property.

Rishi Sunak had to drop a plan to build on green belt areas because of opposition from his own party and others. Targets for building homes have been dropped by this government also.

Sir Keir has promised if he becomes Prime Minister he will reintroduce targets for building houses. Sir Keir has also committed to building on green belt land. Sir Keir realizes there will be opposition to these plans. But Sir Keir has allowed Himself a get-out clause. He will make it so that it will be up to local authorities as to whether they will build on green belt land or not.

Sir Keir has said you cannot pussyfoot around the issue of building houses on greenbelt land. There is a vast need for housing in the UK but where it should be built is as I said controversial. The population of the UK has increased over 20 or 30 years. A lot due to migration from other lands. So this creates a strain on all our services. Most notably the NHS barely manages to care for an increasing population. Elderly people are living longer so the NHS has to cater for that. So with people living longer and more people living in our country, there will be a greater need for housing.

Everywhere you go it seems, new housing is appearing. Be it for buying or renting. Every scrap of land it seems whether in the country or in built-up areas land is being designated for housing. The idea of turning unused buildings into homes is a good idea. If there are unused office blocks for example, they can be turned into homes. Derelict housing can be brought back and made liveable again. And yes, where necessary and in the right circumstances, new housing should be built.

The amount of homeless people in this country is noticeable. Where ever you go in the UK you will see homeless people begging or sleeping in doorways. People become homeless for many reasons. It's not that they suddenly chose to live on the streets. Many are homeless because of conditions beyond their control. They are fleeing abuse of every kind, they are there because they have lost everything, etc.

So the issues of housing and who is housed is a pressing matter in the UK. Despite efforts by this government housing (whether real or not), housing will remain an issue in its various forms perhaps forever.