Thousands of new homes could be built in five new garden towns between Oxford and Cambridge
The plans come after MPs agreed to a new high-speed rail line and motorway for cars between the two leading university towns
THOUSANDS Of home could be built in five new garden town between Oxford and Cambridge under Government plans.
The housing secretary, Sajid Javid, yesterday announced that he will give the go-ahead to two new towns in the next few weeks and may push for up to three more.
It comes after MPs agreed to a new high-speed rail line and motorway for cars between the two leading university towns.
Mr Javid told : “Along that corridor there’s an opportunity to build at least four or five garden towns and villages with thousands of homes.”
He added: "We have a housing crisis in this country. Average house prices in England are eight times average earnings.
"In London, where we have the most acute shortage, it is 15 times average earnings.
"That’s not just the worst we have had in England, it’s the worst of any major developed economy.”
Last year, 217,000 homes were built - more than double the total in 2010 but well under the government target of 300,000 a year by 2025.
Today, Prime Minister Theresa May will announce a shake-up of the National Planning Policy Framework and to introduce measures to encourage a faster pace of building.
And there will be stricter rules for councils who manipulate housing statistics to suggest more new houses in their areas — which drives up prices.
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Councils who fail to step up house building will be stripped of their right to decide what gets built in their area.
Instead, the decision will be made by planning inspectors.
Ministers have also announced plans to relax rules on how many storeys can be added to buildings to help ease Britain's housing crisis.
Key workers, such as police, nurse and teaching staff, will be giving special priority to new housing too.
How to get help buying a house
THERE are several government schemes available to help you get on the housing ladder.
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