LABOUR is fast-tracking plans to build 100,000 new homes, the government announced today, as part of its pledge to fix Britain’s housing crisis.

But research revealed last week that local authorities in England are to sell off more than eight times as many council homes in 2025-26 as the number constructed the previous year.

The government’s New Homes Accelerator scheme has removed “regulatory hurdles” and already helped to speed up the delivery of 36,000 new homes across England, Labour said today.

Planning proposals have also been driven forward for another 63,000 homes, as part of wider plans to deliver 1.5 million homes in the course of the current parliament.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: “We’ve rolled up our sleeves and are breaking down the barriers which stop us from building the houses to buy and rent that families and young people need, helping to speed up the delivery of tens of thousands of new homes already.  

“We are continuing to take decisive action through our New Homes Accelerator to speed up the delivery of homes, meet our stretching 1.5m homes target through the Plan for Change and get spades in the ground to turn the tide on the housing crisis.”

The scheme’s “expert” team will focus on six new sites, including Comeytrowe in Somerset, Wisley Airfield in Guildford, North Leigh Park in Wigan and Hampden Fields in Aylesbury, alongside Billet Road and High Road West in London, to deliver 12,000 homes.

Some 25 per cent of these will be earmarked as “affordable,” the government said.

Labour has pledged £39 billion towards its Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which includes plans to deliver 180,000 homes for social rent.

Last week, a report from think tank Common Wealth suggested that if the government wants to boost the supply of social rental housing, it should introduce grants that allow local authorities to reacquire council homes sold under the Right to Buy scheme.

Referring to the research by the i Paper, which estimated that 18,500 council homes will be sold off in 2025-26, the think tank pointed out that this is more than eight times the number built in 2024-25.