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Welsh housing minister explains ‘slums of the future’ criticism
Welsh housing minister Julie James has explained her comments in which she criticised private house builders in Wales for building “slums of the future”, just weeks after a body that represents developers complained about her views.
Speaking to Inside Housing, Ms James said the criticism was aimed at developers who try to maximise profits by building “sprawling residential developments” without contributing to the infrastructure that surrounds them.
In May Ms James used her speech at the Tai 2019 conference to criticise the private housebuilding sector for building “slums” and said “lessons from the past” were not being learned.
The Home Builders Federation Wales, which represents house builders in the country, then wrote a letter to the Ms James saying its members “were disappointed to learn” of her views and asked if she “could explain in more detail what prompted the comment”.
Ms James told Inside Housing that developers should be building homes which “stand the test of time” rather than “somewhere that’s just temporary”. She also emphasised the need for developments to have the right infrastructure, including green space, employment facilities, schools and public services.
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Ms James comments come as the Welsh government launches its National Development Framework today, which sets the direction for where new homes, jobs and services will be located over the next 20 years.
As part of the proposal, the Welsh government commits to increasing the delivery of affordable homes by encouraging local authorities and social landlords to build.
In June, the Welsh government released estimates of housing need in the country, which suggest a need for 114,000 homes by 2038, of which 47% should be affordable.
When asked what the government will do to encourage building, Ms James said she is currently looking at “incentives we can put in place to get people to build at pace and scale”, including grants and a new social rent policy.
Last month the Welsh government accepted all but one of the recommendations from the Independent Review of Affordable Housing Supply, which included calls for grant partnerships and a five-year social rent settlement.
Yesterday Inside Housing reported that the announcement of a new social rent policy, which was due to take place in July, has been delayed.
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Ms James said setting a new rent policy is a “complex thing to do where you are bouncing off a whole series of different competing imperatives” but said she would be in a position to make a decision in the coming weeks.
Commenting on the National Development Framework, Matthew Dicks, director of CIH Cymru, said: "These plans set out a clear vision for Wales more closely linking how people live, how they travel and access work and other opportunities. Housing is rightly at the heart of this and we strongly welcome the ambition to greatly increase the amount of homes local authorities directly deliver.
"What must remain at the forefront of the discussion is how affordability is understood and translated in reality to enable people to thrive within these communities."
At-a-glance: the Welsh National Development Framework consultation
The Welsh National Development Framework sets a direction for where new homes, jobs and services will be located in Wales over the next 20 years, alongside identifying areas for renewable energy generation.
- Development in Wales will be centered around three urban clusters: Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys; Swansea Bay and Llanelli; and Wrexham and Deeside
- An additional 114,000 homes by 2038 are required, of which 47% should be affordable
- Focus on “sustainable” developments, meaning good transport links and mixed communities instead of “ghettos of the affluent and poor”
- Government will encourage local authorities and registered providers to build more homes
- High density development in urban areas will protect from the loss of countryside in rural areas
- New priority areas for large-scale wind and solar energy development to help meet decarbonisation targets
- Strategic Development Plans should embed placemaking as an overarching principle
- The consultation is open until 1 November 2019
