Minister 'not listening' on social homes issues

WALES'S housing secretary Jayne Bryant was bluntly told “you're not listening” during a tense committee grilling over fears that building safety reforms will “suppress” social housing supply.

- CHRIS HAINES ICNN Senedd reporter

Llanelli MS Lee Waters accused her of ignoring repeated, high-level warnings from the sector about pushing through a bill that risks curtailing construction amid a “housing emergency’

A tense exchange last Wednesday highlighted “profound disagreement” as the minister and her officials pinned the sector’s concerns on a “misunderstanding” of the building safety bill.

Warning of a lack of policy “join up?) Mr Waters pointed to evidence from the sector that the post-Grenfell reforms risk suppressing their ability to bring forward homes for social rent.

But Ms Bryant gave little ground, insisting the average Costs would be low and the Welsh Government would not solve supply problems by “allowing people to live in unsafe homes’,

Mr Waters explained social landlords have warned the additional cost burden will affect their ability to borrow and the number of properties they can develop.

He asked: “Why are you so dismissive of that clear evidence from the sector?”