In a recent issue, The Times highlighted an intriguing story regarding Stack Data Strategy’s research on whether people across the nation favour or oppose new property development.
The Times piece indicated that Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, is courting those who support housing construction as he believes this will be crucial in his attempt to become Prime Minister.
According to the data from Stacks, the issue of housing ranks high in areas critical to Labour’s success. Potential winning seats for Labour include locations such as Walsall & Bloxwich, Bournemouth West, and Peterborough.
Expect the Labour manifesto to prioritize housing to attract voters buying their first home and those keen on accessing social housing.
Starmer has pledged to build 1.5 million homes in the next five years, which will require backing for building on some Green Belt lands. In this context, Labour is mootedly referring to some of these areas as ‘Grey Belt’ to imply they might be suitable for development, even if initially classified as Green Belt.
Rishi Sunak has criticized Starmer, suggesting he’s ready to pave over Green Belt lands after Starmer expressed intentions to grant local councils more authority for fulfilling housing requirements.
A relevant poll by YouGov for the Inclusive Growth Commission revealed a gap in public understanding of the Green Belt, with two-thirds of people struggling to identify such areas accurately.
