UK to create more affordable housing by taking down local NIMBY councils

The British are taking on NIMBYism with an aggressive new strategy: built it, or we will.

UK housing secretary Sajid Javid told The Sunday Times local councils will be given higher targets for residential development and, if not met, the government will step in to appoint an independent inspector to handle the planning. Similar rules will apply to developers who hold on to land without building.

The new strategy is part of Javid’s forthcoming National Planning Policy Framework, which is to be officially released tomorrow in order to address the country’s shortage of affordable housing.

“We have a housing crisis in this country. We need a housing revolution,” Javid told The Times, saying that he told local councils that “we are going to be breathing down your neck to make sure you are actually delivering on those numbers.” [The Sunday Times] — Erin Hudson