Jacob Rees-Mogg says Britain’s green belt fields must be built on as he blasts Sajid Javid’s plans to borrow £50bn to kickstart housebuilding
The Tory backbencher told Andrew Marr planning permission, rather than capital, was the problem when it came to house building
BRITAIN’S green belt fields must be built on, leading Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted last night.
The MP for picturesque North East Somerset’s comments followed reports Communities Secretary Sajid Javid wants the Treasury to borrow £50billion to kickstart a housebuilding programme.
But he blasted the borrowing plans saying it was “putting the cart before the horse”.
The party favourite said the UK’s “gummed up” planning system needed to be overhauled first.
He said: “I think it’s tackling the wrong end of the problem. I don’t think there’s a shortage of capital for house-building, I think there’s a shortage of planning permissions.
“This is putting the cart before the horse. If you have £50 billion available to spend on housing but you’ve got a planning system which is completely gummed up and doesn’t work and isn’t delivering the numbers.
“Just putting more money into it will simply inflate the price of land, it won’t actually be the solution, so you’ve got to clear up the planning system first.”
Describing current planning laws as “sclerotic”, he told the BBC’s Westminster Hour, Tory supporters were no longer entirely opposed to building on green belt or fields.
He said: “I think the electorate is ahead of the politicians. They recognise that we have such a housing problem that building on green fields is extremely welcome and recognised as being necessary.”
Mr Javid said at the weekend he wanted Philip Hammond to “take advantage of record low interest rates” to raise cash to build homes.
He told the Andrew Marr Show: “I want to make sure we’re using everything we have available to deal with this housing crisis.
“We have to continue to be bold in this area.”
Sources have told The Sun that the figure Mr Javid has asked for in the Budget next month is £50bn.
