Sajid Javid battling No 10 to unveil radical plan to push house prices down - report
2 min read
Councils could be forced to build houses in desirable areas as part of a radical new plan to suppress property prices, it has been reported.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid wants to make it a legal requirement for councils to boost new-builds if young workers cannot afford to buy locally, according to The Sun.
The plan would implement a test for local authorities to calculate the salary-to-house price ratio for youngsters hoping to get on the housing ladder.
On average across Britain, houses cost 7.8 times as much as people are paid - while in some areas in the south east the figure is 12 times the average salary.
But the paper says the plan is causing consternation in Downing Street - with fears it could spark a backlash among Tory MPs and voters in the party’s heartlands.
A top government source told the Sun: “Sajid has come up with what he insists is an objective and transparent test to increase supply.
“For once, councils won’t be able to fudge it, and that is key.
“There was nervousness in Downing Street before the election about upsetting the horses, but he has persuaded a lot of us round.”
Mr Javid told the Local Government Association conference last month: “Where housing is particularly unaffordable, local leaders need to take a long, hard, honest look to see if they are planning for the right number of homes”.
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