Keir Starmer talks A64 dualling, house prices and 'tough' planning decisions in York visit

The Labour leader said the party was keen to improve local infrastructure when asked about his stance on the North Yorkshire road. He added he would have to look at the details of the A64 specifically but said Labour was considering everything from big projects to pot hole repairs to improve infrastructure.

It comes as Sir Keir visited Permission Homes’ Germany Beck housing development in Fulford ahead of a Question Time Leader’s Special taking place in York on Thursday evening. He was joined by Labour York Council Leader Coun Claire Douglas and Luke Charters, who is standing as the party’s candidate in York Outer.

The Labour leader was there to unveil his party’s plans for housing which include pledging to build 1.5m homes during the next Parliament. He said the dream of owning a home had been virtually extinguished for some, pointing to the average age of first time buyers now being 36.

Sir Keir also pledged to end bidding wars between prospective tenants in the private rental market, to curb the size of deposits and to stop no fault evictions. But he denied a party official had said Labour was prepared to flatten the green belt to build more homes after saying tough decisions would be needed on planning.

The Labour leader said: “We’ve got to protect those in rented accommodation who are paying very high rents a lot of the time. We will make sure that they don’t have to go into bidding wars which force rents up higher and higher. We’ll introduce a law that says landlords can’t do bidding wars and we’ll stop the extortionate deposits on rental properties.

“There’s also too many people living in damp and mouldy homes, that’s having a massive impact on their health. We’ve pledged to build 1.5m homes because more homes mean less pressure on the rental market. But it took 15 years until spades were in the ground on this housing development, so we need to take tough decisions on the planning system to stop these delays.

“We also want to reform leasehold by making it easier for home owners to buy the leasehold, we want to do that as quickly as possible. One of the most important things is reducing deposits that need to be put down for first time buyers. We also shouldn’t be allowing developers to sell off plan before first time buyers and local people have had a look in.

“In the Budget the Government set out plans for stamp duty exemptions for first time buyers that were costed, we will hold to that. But now the Conservatives are desperately putting out unfunded commitments.

“When you lose control of the economy it’s working people who pay the price. We want more good quality homes with access to schools, GPs and the basic facilities that people would expect.

"People also need good infrastructure to get around, there’s big issues with potholes on roads which stops people getting around safely. I want to look at the details of the A64 but we would support major road building projects.”

Sir Keir is the third high-profile Labour politician to visit York Outer in recent weeks. Party Deputy Leader Angela Rayner visited York College the previous Sunday after Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves attended a D-Day anniversary event in Bishopthorpe in early June.

The party is looking to unseat Conservative incumbent Julian Sturdy who has held Yorker Outer since 2010.