North Northumberland MP David Smith calls for new housing to be built 'in the right places'

A Northumberland MP has claimed the county's housing waiting list shows the need for additional home targets by the Government.

There has been significant opposition from the Conservative-led county council to Government proposals that would increase Northumberland's housing target from 549 to 1,768 new homes each year. However, speaking in parliament, North Northumberland MP David Smith pointed out that there were thousands of people on the housing register classed as not adequately housed.

This summer, figures from the council showed that there were more than 14,000 people on the Homefinder Register. While 8,200 were classed as "already adequately housed", there were still around 6,000 who required an improved living situation.

Addressing deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Mr Smith said: "Conservative-run Northumberland County Council's own figures show that over 6,000 people in Northumberland are not adequately housed.

"Despite this, since the Conservatives have led the council, the council's own housing stock has decreased in number. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that we need more social homes in the right places to support the thousands of people in North Northumberland in need of safe and secure place to live?"

Ms Rayner replied: "He is absolutely right, it is a source of national shame that just over 1.3 million households are on social housing waiting lists - 14,000 of them in Northumberland alone.

"This Government does not accept that it has to be this way. We will deliver a fair, more sustainable right-to-buy scheme where existing social housing stock is protected to meet housing need.

"I recognise the particular challenges faced by rural communities, and that is why the Government announced that the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme is targeted for 5-10% for delivery outside London as homes in rural areas."

Coun Colin Horncastle, the Conservative cabinet member for housing on Northumberland County Council, argued it had been historically difficult to build affordable and social housing in rural parts of the county.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "We would all like some more homes in the right places, but making it happen is not very easy. Affordable housing is one of our priorities.

"When there is a family or individual who is homeless, we throw our full force behind our housing department to make sure people are housed.

"Labour want a 222% increase in our housing target. We have been building more than our target, so it won't seem as huge - but people don't like a lot of housing being built.

"We are working with selective licensing to improve private rented accommodation and we're working to improve the Hirst in Ashington which has been neglected for decades. We are trying.

"We have tried for a long time to get affordable housing in rural areas of the west and the north and it is nigh-on impossible because of the cost and because of the locations."

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