Roberta Blackman-Woods, Shadow Local Government and Housing Minister responding to IPPR North’s ‘Closer to Home: Next Steps in Planning and Devolution’’ said:

“I welcome today’s report by IPPR North which shows how important a devolution deal can be for bringing forward the developments we need.

“The report rightly points out that there are multiple housing markets across England that all have unique challenges and opportunities and recommends that councils need to be more ambitious in their devolution offers and that in turn the Government must match that with support and resourcing so plans can be successfully implemented.

“Labour agrees that local authorities must be given the tools, flexibilities and devolution of funding needed on the basis of clear commitments that housing need will be met. We must put people at the heart of planning and empower councils to be able to deliver the kind of developments their area needs, rather than the centre-driven, ‘one size fits all’ approach that we continue to see from the Government”.