The Government have announced a new sector deal for the construction industry. In welcoming moves to help the industry expand, I repeated my call that we should charge developers Council Tax a year after planning consent is granted (rather than when the developers get round to building the homes) and allow local authorities such as Rother and Wealden to be able to compulsory purchase the land at a discount, and build out themselves, if developers do not build within two years of planning consent being granted. It is some years since the Hastings and Bexhill link road was build and we have yet to see the houses promised. We need more sticks as well as carrots.

View my exchange here: https://goo.gl/ZLstM2