Homes and Planning Bill

Sam Carling Excerpts

Friday 13th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Adam Thompson]

I thank my hon. Friend for that fantastic intervention. I know that she is a powerful campaigner for tradespeople and their rights. Indeed, the Chancellor’s recent announcement about paternity leave for self-employed tradespeople is huge. Many of my closest friends who I grew up with are tradespeople. Lots have got young kids with more on the way, and I know that they are over the moon about this, because it means that they will have the opportunity to spend time with their children, which they would not otherwise have had. I thank her again for that wonderful intervention.

There is also a plan in Erewash to regenerate our town centres into mixed-use spaces, breathing new life into our high streets, as has been done to great success in places such as Bristol and parts of Manchester. Again, I think that shows the local implementation of progressive Labour national policy. I am very proud of the work that my colleagues on Erewash borough council are doing to begin building a local plan that is progressive and meets local need right across the board. I am looking forward to seeing how that plan evolves following the current consultation and building a real grassroots swell of support for what the council is doing. Taking people along with us is the most important way to deliver good policy.

That work—identifying that local need, allocating a fifth of those new homes for social rent, regenerating town centres and creating space for employment—demonstrates the powers that local councils already possess, such as the powers they are using to deal with empty second properties. They meet many of the goals set out in the Bill, and they do so using existing legislation.

[Sam Carling (North West Cambridgeshire) (Lab)]

It is great to hear about the good work that my hon. Friend’s council is doing through its local plan. I have two local planning authorities in my constituency, Labour-run Peterborough and Lib Dem-run Huntingdonshire. In Labour-run Peterborough, the new affordable housing requirements in the emerging local plan specify that 30% of homes must be affordable housing, of which 30% needs to be for social rent. Will my hon. Friend join me in calling on Huntingdonshire, under the Liberal Democrats, to do something similar? Right now, its affordable housing requirements do not set aside anything for social rent.

[Adam Thompson]

I do not know my hon. Friend’s locale particularly well, but it is important that he has put that on the record, and I am glad that he has done so.

I want to be clear that I am not advocating for the status quo, because change is needed, and the good news is that change is coming. This Government have committed to the largest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation. They have launched a 10-year, £39 billion homes programme, providing councils and housing associations with the funding they need to bring forward new developments, which I think is wonderful. At least 60% of the homes delivered through the homes programme will be for social rent, ensuring that support is targeted at those families who are currently trapped on waiting lists and in temporary accommodation—I know that colleagues across the House will commend the Minister for his work on that. Similarly, the Social Housing Bill will help protect existing social housing stock, reforming the right to buy and ensuring that more social homes remain available for future generations. That Bill will increase the qualifying period for the right to buy, reduce discounts and exempt newly built social homes from the scheme for 35 years.

Finally, I return to my constituents, many of whom are stuck on social housing waiting lists. Some are raising their children in temporary accommodation, while many others—especially young people—remain priced out of home ownership despite working hard and doing the right thing. This Government are working to bring back the hope of home ownership, and I believe their programme of planning reform and social and affordable house building offers the clearest route to delivering the change that our constituents deserve.