Kit Malthouse MP has been appointed Housing and Planning Minister, following Dominic Raab’s move to the be the Secretary of State for Brexit.
Malthouse is the eighth Housing and Planning Minister in the just over eight years that the Conservatives have been in power. Commenting on his appointment, Malthouse said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Minister of State for Housing.
“Building the homes this country needs is a top priority for this government. I am keen to build on the real progress that has been made and start working with the sector so we can deliver more homes, restore the dream of home ownership and build a housing market fit for the future.”
The National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) works closely with Government, and frequently lobbies ministers, working with the Right to Build Task Force to improve the situation for those who want to have input into creating their own home, whether through Custom Building or Self Building.
While NaCSBA welcomes Mr Malthouse to the role, his appointment does mean another set of explanations as it demonstrates the benefits of the sector the new minister, and the challenges that remain to be overcome.
The entire housing and construction industry finds the revolving door in the Housing Minister post frustrating, and it’s hoped that Malthouse will stay in post until the election in 2022, to bring some stability to the role.
Despite just seven months in Parliament, Malthouse is no stranger to planning, having been involved as a councillor at Westminster Council and also through his work with City Hall.
And he’s a major advocate of giving local people more of a say in planning, so they can oppose the development they don’t feel will be of local benefit and prioritise what works best on a neighbourhood level. In fact, he successfully campaigned for the strengthening of Neighbourhood plans and has campaigned on the basis of greater local control over planning.
NaCSBA supports the Neighbourhood Plans and the powers which they give to people, part of a nationwide movement towards local empowerment.
Neighbourhood plans can work in the favour of Self Builders, as NaCSBA has found that Custom Build has far more appeal locally in comparison, especially if it’s linked with affordability and local connections. The can also be used as a device to ensure that provision is made locally for such housing, helping to diversify the market.
Why not contact @kitmalthouse on twitter and bring your own Self or Custom Build project to his attention?
