Oral Answers to Questions

Sean Woodcock Excerpts

Monday 12th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sean Woodcock (Banbury) (Lab)]

5. What steps he is taking to build more social and affordable homes in Banbury.

[The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)]

Our manifesto committed us to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable house building in a generation, and we intend to do just that. Our £39 billion social and affordable homes programme will build around 300,000 homes over its 10-year lifetime, of which at least 60% will be social rent, ensuring that communities such as Banbury get the social and affordable homes they so desperately need.

[Mr Speaker]

Do you all represent Banbury? I am trying to find out why they all think they are in Banbury. I thought it had only one MP.

[Sean Woodcock]

Nearly 11,000 homes in Cherwell district have been granted planning permission but remain unbuilt. This causes understandable frustration for local residents and the thousands of people in housing need. Will the Minister set out what action the Government are taking to improve build-out so that much-needed homes are built and delivered?

[Matthew Pennycook]

My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate for the interests of Banbury, and he has rightly and forcefully conveyed the message that the communities he represents expect homes, infrastructure and services that have been promised as part of a planning approval to be delivered as quickly as possible. I am sure he will welcome the fact that the new draft national planning policy framework, on which the Government are currently consulting, proposes to strengthen national policies to ensure that major residential developments are deliverable within a reasonable period. He will also be reassured to know that we intend to take further action to incentivise faster build-out rates, drawing on the two consultations that we undertook last year.