Flint rules out housing target revision

Housing minister Caroline Flint

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The government has been accused of ignoring the advice of its key advisers by refusing to revise its housing targets in the face of an economic downturn.

In a meeting of the environmental audit committee, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham Martin Horwood said Kate Barker, author of two major reviews for government on housing, believed targets should be reviewed if the housing market changed.

He quoted her saying: "We might start out with the intention to build x in one area and two years down the line what is happening in the market has suggested to you that x was too big and we should cut the target."

'Housing demand strong'

But housing minister Caroline Flint said demand for housing remained strong despite the slowdown.

She said: "It is far too early and premature to suggest we should revise our target which is (for) 2016 and 2020. But we are mindful of the market and realise some of our projections will need to be looked at based on the number of homes built this year which may be lower than last year, but it is also about market conditions when the market picks up and conditions change."

When asked by Mr Horwood if the targets should stand "regardless of the market", she said: "No, I do not think there is justification for changing those targets at this point. I can only talk about the market now; it is unwise to theorise about where the market might be this year or the year after."