Government has at last recognised that new homes need infrastructure but now needs to put its money where its mouth is, says the South East England Regional Assembly.

Government this week published proposals for three million more homes by 2020, including affordable housing and infrastructure. The Assembly estimates that the growth already planned in the South East could cost at least £47 billion in investment in infrastructure; this will rise with higher homes targets. Building more new housing without adequate investment in hospitals, schools and transport will result in stretched and dysfunctional communities not sustainable ones.

Cllr Keith Mitchell, CBE, Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly said:

"It seems as if the Assembly's message about the need for infrastructure to support new homes is finally getting through. This week's housing green paper includes a whole chapter on infrastructure but we now need a commitment that Government will provide the money to deliver it. Ministers talk of creating a revolution in the way we build homes; we also need a revolution in infrastructure investment."

Cllr Mitchell added,

"The housing proposals also caught up on our thinking that the solution to the housing crisis is not simply about building more market housing. Substantial investment in social housing and shared ownership is vital in the South East. But will £8 billion nationally over the next three years be enough?"

Contacts

Lesley van Dijk, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. Government's Housing Green Paper - Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable, can be viewed on the Communities and Local Government website.
   
   
2. The Assembly is a partnership of councils and communities in the South East region. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
   
   
3. The Assembly is made up of 112 members including elected councillors nominated by the region's local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
   
   
4. The Assembly has six roles:
1. Regional Planning
   preparing and delivering the South East Plan
2. Regional Housing
   the Regional Housing Board decides housing investment priorities
3. Regional Transport
   the Regional Transport Board decides transport investment priorities
4. Advocacy
   pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels
5. Accountability
   scrutinising SEEDA's plans and impact
6. Alignment
   co-ordinating regional policies and decisions.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 21 August 2007