Sunak’s pledge to protect ‘green belt’ will impose ineffective and costly regulation on the housing sector
29 July 2022
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In the Media
In the Media
Sam Collins writes for ConservativeHome
1 August 2022
Government and Institutions
Matthew Lesh quoted in The Express
Matthew Lesh, IEA Head of Public Policy, has been quoted in The Express commenting on Rishi Sunak’s pledge to ban new homes from being built on ‘green belt’ land.
New IEA research, edited by Matthew Lesh and IEA Head of Political Economy Kristian Niemietz, further examines the impact of such regulations on the housing sector.
Matthew said:
“Rishi Sunak’s housing proposals would flush aspiration down the drain. It reveals a serious lack of ambition to reform the country and boost living standards.
The ‘green belt’ is a misnomer. It does not protect green space, it restricts the ability of cities to expand in the name of preventing urban sprawl. In practice, however, it has failed in that goal and instead pushed urban growth further afield, resulting in less productive cities, longer commutes and more pollution.
Planning restrictions significantly push up the cost of living, while making homeownership unattainable, forcing people into lowering paying jobs and increasing commute times and pollution. There are smart solutions, like street votes, that can achieve more housebuilding with local support.”
Read the full article here.
New IEA research, edited by Matthew Lesh and IEA Head of Political Economy Kristian Niemietz, further examines the impact of such regulations on the housing sector.
Matthew said:
“Rishi Sunak’s housing proposals would flush aspiration down the drain. It reveals a serious lack of ambition to reform the country and boost living standards.
The ‘green belt’ is a misnomer. It does not protect green space, it restricts the ability of cities to expand in the name of preventing urban sprawl. In practice, however, it has failed in that goal and instead pushed urban growth further afield, resulting in less productive cities, longer commutes and more pollution.
Planning restrictions significantly push up the cost of living, while making homeownership unattainable, forcing people into lowering paying jobs and increasing commute times and pollution. There are smart solutions, like street votes, that can achieve more housebuilding with local support.”
Read the full article here.
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