DEVELOPMENT of brownfield sites remains the top priority in the Government’s plans to build more houses, according to Pat McFadden.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told GB News: “Things have to be built to a proper standard. I don’t think it’s just about building houses. I think very often when people object to a housing development, it’s partly because it’s just housing.
“They want to know, where’s the GP surgery going to be? Where is the primary school going to be? Where is the bus route going to be?
“So, we have to think about things in terms of the whole community…we are still in favour of brownfield first.
“We are still in favour of the priority for house building being in those parts of built-up areas which don’t have housing on it for the moment.
“For example, in my own city of Wolverhampton, we’ve got a lot of derelict factory sites that have been there for decades without things built on them.
“Those sites should be the first priority is building, and they will be.”
Asked about plans to lower the age limit for voting, he said: “Many 16 and 17-year-olds have an interest now, they can exercise responsibility.
“They already have the vote in Scottish elections, for example, without any problems as far as I’ve seen.
“Are 16 and 17-year-olds still children? They’re young, certainly, but I think they’re beyond children at that age.
“I’ve got children approaching this age myself, I like to think of them as young adults by the time they get to that age.
“There are other things you can do when you’re 16 and 17, as we’ve discussed, but let’s wait to see…”