Darling Budget mixed reaction
THE Home Builders' Federation has reacted with disappointment to Alistair Darling's first Budget for failing to help first-time buyers.
Stewart Baseley, executive chairman said: "The Budget has ignored the vast majority of first-time buyers, leaving them without the help they need to make the first step onto the housing ladder.
"Whilst simplification of the stamp duty system for shared ownership is welcome, the Chancellor has left the vast majority of would-be first time buyers high and dry, ignoring our plea to raise the threshold to £250,000, which would have exempted 90 per cent of first-time buyers.
"Extension of contaminated land relief and backdated stamp duty exemptions for zero carbon flats are moves in the right direction."
With new figures released tby the Government showing that there is already a shortfall in the housing targets of 40,000 a year, Mr Baseley commented: "To deliver the numbers of homes we need, local planning authorities must identify many more new sites for housing development."
l THE National Housing Building Council has welcomed the commitment by the Chancellor to target all new construction in the drive to reduce the UK's carbon emissions.
Imtiaz Farookhi, NHBC's Chief Executive, said: "The decision by the Chancellor to target all new buildings to be zero carbon from 2019 is to be commended, as is the decision for a 2016 delivery unit to co-ordinate the zero carbon programme, which we have long said is needed to develop a framework to move this agenda forward.
"Existing housing stock also has a part to play in driving down carbon emissions."
11:31am Wednesday 19th March 2008
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