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15,000-home garden city to be built at Ebbsfleet | 15,000-home garden city to be built at Ebbsfleet |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A garden city with an initial 15,000 homes will be built at Ebbsfleet in Kent, George Osborne has announced. | A garden city with an initial 15,000 homes will be built at Ebbsfleet in Kent, George Osborne has announced. |
The chancellor told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the site was chosen because there was "fantastic" infrastructure and it was in south-east England where pressure on housing has been high. | The chancellor told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the site was chosen because there was "fantastic" infrastructure and it was in south-east England where pressure on housing has been high. |
He said local people wanted to see regeneration of the area. | He said local people wanted to see regeneration of the area. |
Labour suggested an existing plan had been re-announced. The Lib Dems said it was a "massive Tory U-turn". | Labour suggested an existing plan had been re-announced. The Lib Dems said it was a "massive Tory U-turn". |
Speaking ahead of his Budget on Wednesday, Mr Osborne said the government's Help to Buy scheme would also be extended until the end of the decade. | Speaking ahead of his Budget on Wednesday, Mr Osborne said the government's Help to Buy scheme would also be extended until the end of the decade. |
'Cuts through obstacles' | 'Cuts through obstacles' |
Explaining the decision to choose Ebbsfleet rather than richer parts of the country, Mr Osborne said: "In Ebbsfleet there is the land available, there is fantastic infrastructure with the high speed line. | Explaining the decision to choose Ebbsfleet rather than richer parts of the country, Mr Osborne said: "In Ebbsfleet there is the land available, there is fantastic infrastructure with the high speed line. |
"It's on the river, it's in the south-east of England where a lot of the housing pressure has been. | "It's on the river, it's in the south-east of England where a lot of the housing pressure has been. |
"And crucially you've got local communities and local MPs who support the idea. | "And crucially you've got local communities and local MPs who support the idea. |
"We're going to create an urban development corporation so we're going to create the instrument that allows this kind of thing to go ahead and cuts through a lot of the obstacles that often happen when you want to build these homes. | "We're going to create an urban development corporation so we're going to create the instrument that allows this kind of thing to go ahead and cuts through a lot of the obstacles that often happen when you want to build these homes. |
"There are already some homes being built on the site, so progress was under way, but it was on a much, much smaller scale and with much less ambition than what I'm setting out today." | "There are already some homes being built on the site, so progress was under way, but it was on a much, much smaller scale and with much less ambition than what I'm setting out today." |
Ebbsfleet has a stop on the high-speed rail line to the Channel Tunnel. | Ebbsfleet has a stop on the high-speed rail line to the Channel Tunnel. |
'Proper infrastructure' | 'Proper infrastructure' |
Gareth Johnson, Conservative MP for Dartford, said he "very much welcomed" the chancellor's announcement. | Gareth Johnson, Conservative MP for Dartford, said he "very much welcomed" the chancellor's announcement. |
"The Ebbsfleet Valley has been a source of great frustration for many years," he said. | "The Ebbsfleet Valley has been a source of great frustration for many years," he said. |
"Despite the efforts of the council and central government, we've never got the development we want to see in the area." | "Despite the efforts of the council and central government, we've never got the development we want to see in the area." |
He said attempts had been made to build new homes at Ebbsfleet since 1996. | He said attempts had been made to build new homes at Ebbsfleet since 1996. |
Planning permission was granted for about 6,000 new homes at Eastern Quarry, near Ebbsleet station, in 2007, but nothing was done, he added. | Planning permission was granted for about 6,000 new homes at Eastern Quarry, near Ebbsleet station, in 2007, but nothing was done, he added. |
"For whatever reason a developer has not been forthcoming and the recession didn't help," Mr Johnson said. | "For whatever reason a developer has not been forthcoming and the recession didn't help," Mr Johnson said. |
"What this announcement does is enable the proper infrastructure to be put in place." | "What this announcement does is enable the proper infrastructure to be put in place." |
London mayor Boris Johnson tweeted that the plans were "great news" for London, for jobs, growth and the UK economy. | London mayor Boris Johnson tweeted that the plans were "great news" for London, for jobs, growth and the UK economy. |
In 2012, government ministers, three Kent councils and developer Land Securities agreed plans for about 22,600 new homes to be built in Kent Thameside in Ebbsfleet over 20 years. | In 2012, government ministers, three Kent councils and developer Land Securities agreed plans for about 22,600 new homes to be built in Kent Thameside in Ebbsfleet over 20 years. |
Housing minister Grant Shapps said the development had been stuck on the drawing board for "a whole decade". | Housing minister Grant Shapps said the development had been stuck on the drawing board for "a whole decade". |
Three hundred homes have been built since planning permission was first granted. | Three hundred homes have been built since planning permission was first granted. |
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said it was "too little too late". | |
He said Labour wanted "an objective of more than 200,000 new homes a year by the end of the decade". | |
"Labour is saying we should match Help to Buy with Help to Build," he said. | |
"What the chancellor has done today is re-announce an old policy. It's not enough and he should do more." | |
'Suppressed report' | 'Suppressed report' |
Tim Farron, president of the Liberal Democrats, said the announcement would "barely scratch the surface" of the 300,000 homes a year that were needed. | Tim Farron, president of the Liberal Democrats, said the announcement would "barely scratch the surface" of the 300,000 homes a year that were needed. |
He previously accused the Conservatives of suppressing a report recommending new garden cities. | He previously accused the Conservatives of suppressing a report recommending new garden cities. |
The Conservatives denied any delay and said plans would be outlined for 2015. | The Conservatives denied any delay and said plans would be outlined for 2015. |
Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association, said the creation of a separate quango to oversee the development was unnecessary. | Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association, said the creation of a separate quango to oversee the development was unnecessary. |
He said residents would be concerned that the unelected body could have the power to make local decisions about investment, planning and transport. | He said residents would be concerned that the unelected body could have the power to make local decisions about investment, planning and transport. |
A Treasury spokesman said the homes announced in 2012 related to all the housing in the Dartford area. | A Treasury spokesman said the homes announced in 2012 related to all the housing in the Dartford area. |
He said the plans announced by the chancellor would cover three core sites - Eastern Quarry, Ebbsfleet station and Swanscombe peninsula, which had a capacity for 15,000 homes. | He said the plans announced by the chancellor would cover three core sites - Eastern Quarry, Ebbsfleet station and Swanscombe peninsula, which had a capacity for 15,000 homes. |
The concept of garden cities was developed by the liberal social reformer Sir Ebenezer Howard. In his book "To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform", published in 1898, he proposed cities of 30,000 people that were self-sufficient and ringed by an agricultural belt. | The concept of garden cities was developed by the liberal social reformer Sir Ebenezer Howard. In his book "To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform", published in 1898, he proposed cities of 30,000 people that were self-sufficient and ringed by an agricultural belt. |
Garden cities were a response to overcrowding and squalid living conditions in cities following the Industrial Revolution. They were intended to combine the best of urban life with access to nature. | Garden cities were a response to overcrowding and squalid living conditions in cities following the Industrial Revolution. They were intended to combine the best of urban life with access to nature. |