Labour’s plan to build 1.5million homes by the end of the decade to ease the UK housing crisis will be ‘more difficult than we expected’ to achieve, a senior minister admitted today.

Communities Minister Matthew Pennycook admitted that the target set by Housing Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was ‘incredibly stretching’.

But he insisted it was ‘essential’ it was met and told the Housing and Communities Committee it was still deliverable.

And like other Labour ministers in recent weeks he laid the blame for trouble with its plans at the door of the last Tory government.

He said Labour had been handed a ‘difficult inheritance’, adding: Both the Deputy Prime Minister and I have never been anything other than completely candid about the fact that 1.5million net additional dwellings in a single parliament is an Incredibly stretching target.

‘Delivering 1.5 million homes is going to be more difficult than we expected in opposition.’

Prior to the general election, Labour pledged to deliver 1.5million new homes over the next five years.

Ms Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, said the Government will revive top-down housing targets for local councils.

She revealed the collective total for these local targets would be just over 370,000 homes a year.

She rejected suggestions Britain is ‘too crowded’ or that there is ‘no countryside left’, saying: ‘The vast majority of England is still very green and will remain so.’

Last week she enraged nimby locals after taking control of a garden town plan just as councillors were preparing to block the development for thousands of homes.

The Housing Secretary stepped in as Swale Borough Council was making the decision on whether to allow divisive plans for 8,400 new homes near Sittingbourne.

Just three hours before planning officers were due to vote on the proposals, they received a letter telling them Ms Rayner was taking over.

Planning officers had recommended that councillors vote against the plans by Quinn Estates.

But now The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is headed by Ms Rayner, will have the final say – and councillors and residents are afraid she will approve them despite the local opposition.

The first application for the new development asks for permission to build 7,150 homes, primary and secondary schools and a hotel.

An additional 1,250 homes will also be built under a second proposal, including sheltered and care accommodation, a school and a motorway relief road.

Swale Council was deluged with letters of objection, with more than 700 residents voicing their concerns.