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Green Party backs rental reform, retrofit and end of Right to Buy in manifesto
The Green Party outlined its manifesto today, which included pledges to end no-fault evictions, abolish Right to Buy, embark on a retrofit revolution and build 150,000 social homes.
One of the Green Party’s housing measures in its manifesto is its ‘Our Right Homes, Right Place, Right Price’ charter, which aims to protect green space, reduce climate change, tackle fuel poverty and offer affordable housing.
The charter would mandate local authorities spread small developments across their areas, require new developments to be accompanied by extra investment in health transport and other services, and ensure new homes meet Passivhaus or equivalent standards.
Housebuilders should also include solar panels and heat pumps on new homes “where appropriate”.
The Green Party’s other measure on housing would be a push for a “local authority-led, street-by-street retrofit programme” to insulate properties.
To do this, it would invest £29bn over the five years to insulate homes to an EPC B or above as part of a 10-year programme.
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A further £4bn would be paid over the next five years to insulate other buildings to a high standard, and another £9bn would be invested in the next five years for low-carbon heating systems for homes and other properties.
Ending Right to Buy
A further Green Party housing measure was a pledge to build 150,000 new social homes per year through new build and purchase and refurbishment of older housing stock, community Right to Buy for local authorities, and ending individual Right to Buy to keep social homes in local communities.
Finally, the Green Party focused on renters, noting that it would push for rent control, stable rental tenancy, an end to no-fault evictions and private rental tenancy boards.
This week the political parties are unveiling their manifestos. The Liberal Democrats promised to build more homes, bring back rental reforms and give local authorities more planning power.
The Conservatives pledged to permanently scrap stamp duty for the majority of first-time buyers, while reintroducing the Help to Buy equity loan scheme.
Some pledges have left industry experts a little cold, with some experts saying the Conservative manifesto had good measures but was a little too late.