Pro-Development Tories Are Desperate To Convince NIMBYs New Houses Would Be "Popular" In Their Patch

A number of Conservative MPs who believe new housing should be a top priority are looking to persuade NIMBY MPs that housebuilding can be "popular" in their area, as the issue continues to bitterly divide the Tories ahead of the next election.

For the 14 years the Conservatives’ have been in power, the party has been split between those who champion the economic benefits of housebuilding and a powerful faction who regularly oppose planning reform.

The Tories’ time in Government has also coincided with record rises in house prices and a steep decline of home ownership among younger demographics. Between May 2010 and January 2023, the average house price has increased from £170,846 to £289,818, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The median house price in London has continued to outstrip the average property price across the country. An home in the capital remains the most expensive of any region in the UK, with an average price of £516,000 in October 2023. Meanwhile research from Centre for Cities, a think tank, shows Britain has a backlog of 4.3million housebuilders.

Former cabinet minister Brandon Lewis, Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth, told PoliticsHome that housebuilding was becoming a "headline issue" across the party and country.

He claimed progress has been made by convincing Tory MPs that the lack of housebuilding was an issue. The former housing minister said it was important to use the right language to persuade Tory MPs of the moral and economic case for building more homes on their patches. 

"I think even those who are against [housebuilding], from the point of view of their constituency, would also concede we need more housing in this country," he said. "The shift in the debate is that people