Lib Dems Propose GP Service Guarantee for New Housing Developments
Housing developers in England would be required to ensure that GP services are available for residents before they move into new homes, under a proposal by the Liberal Democrats.
The party intends to introduce legislation mandating developers to fund, build, or expand existing GP surgeries in time for the arrival of new residents.
According to the Lib Dems, GP services near new housing developments would be financed through taxes imposed on developers.
Local authorities and NHS boards would be responsible for identifying where additional GP capacity is necessary to support residents living in new housing developments.
Currently, taxes on housing developers in the UK are used to fund local infrastructure, including GP surgeries. For instance, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in England and Wales can be allocated to a variety of amenities such as transport, flood defences, schools, hospitals, and other health and social care facilities.
However, recent research conducted by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) estimated that local authorities in England and Wales have left over £9 billion of developer contributions unspent, funds intended to support essential local infrastructure.
The HBF expressed concerns about inefficiencies in spending and delivery due to the large sums remaining unspent.
Neil Jefferson, chief executive of the HBF, said the balance of unspent developer contributions provided "further evidence of a capacity crisis in local government and should be a major cause of concern for local communities and for ministers".
The Liberal Democrats argue that GP surgeries are frequently promised but not delivered alongside new housing developments, resulting in increased pressure on existing services.
Ed Davey Highlights Need for Coordinated GP Services
At a news conference, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey stated:
"Too often new developments don't come with the services and infrastructure they need."
He added that the party's policy would ensure new or expanded GP surgeries are operational to serve new developments from the moment the first homes are sold.
Sir Ed said: "It means that the local authority and the NHS would work together to identify how much extra GP capacity is needed to serve new developments - and then require the developers to pay for it, through their levies.
Crucially, that means funding not just the bricks and mortar of GP surgeries, but also the contracts so there are actually doctors to staff them while patients are first moving in."
The BBC has sought comments from Labour, the Conservatives, the Green Party, and Reform UK regarding the proposal.
Criticism from Former Conservative Minister and Housing Context
Simon Clarke, director of the Onward think tank and a former Conservative minister, criticized the Lib Dem proposal, describing it as "totally mad."
In a post on X, Clarke questioned:
"What modelling have they done, if any, about the impact on housebuilding, already at a record, devastating low?"
The Labour government has committed to delivering 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029.
However, last year Housing Secretary Steve Reed acknowledged that a significant increase in housebuilding would be necessary to meet this target.
Housebuilders have warned that the government is likely to miss its goal, noting that the number of new homes started fell from 207,000 to 139,000 following Labour's assumption of office, marking the lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic.
