News & Views Blog

A consensus for affordable homes?

 61.2% of people believe more affordable housing is needed for key workers, according to the latest research from Propertyfinder.com. However, when asked about the prospect of new developments in their local area, people were less accommodating.

The latest propertyfinder.com survey which looked at public attitudes towards the planning process, and new residential developments found that in principle most people backed the idea of new housing to address supply problems (an estimated shortfall of 50,000 new homes every year). When it came to their own area however, only 39.1% wanted more housing built. The findings come as it was announced last week that buying a home is out of reach for key public sector workers in more than two thirds of UK towns.

People were also hostile to new high density developments. They had a strong preference for building houses rather than flats. Only 8.6% of people supported converting a nearby house into flats, while a mere 11.3% favoured a new block of flats. Over three quarters of people (77.6%) were open to a planning application for a new single new dwelling close by however. Warren Bright, Chief Executive of propertyfinder.com commented:

It seems the not-in-my-backyard mentality is alive and well in the UK. While most people are sympathetic about the struggle facing would be buyers and workers such as nurses, they are opposed to particular new developments in their area. While we undoubtedly need more family houses, smaller more affordable homes are also essential to help those trying to get onto the first rung of the property ladder.

 The planning process is not helping
The planning itself also received a lot of criticism. An overwhelming number of people who had been involved in a planning application  found it overcomplicated, hard to understand, and involving too much red tape. 67.9% of people said the process takes too long, and only half felt that enough consideration was given to local objections. Warren Bright said:

The labrynthine planning process is a serious obstacle to solving the UK's housing shortage. When you take into account the DCLG's projected increase in households of 209,000 per annum until the year 2016, the current new build rate of 160,000 new homes a year is clearly falling short of requirements.

Tony Blair speaks of the need to release land quicker for development and for more houses in the south. Local authorities have far too much control over the planning process. Firmer direction from central government is essential.

Concerns for the environment for the environment is a case against development
Environmental concerns were a significant factor for many people. 75.3% were against using local green space for residential projects. There were also a clear preference for any new developments to be inconspicuous and in keeping with other properties in the area. Only one in ten people wanted 'different and eye-catching' new residential developments, and mock period-style architecture was most favoured.

Respondents also offered their views on the impact of new residents, which goes some way to explaining people's resistance to new developments. Traffic was a key objection. Almost three-quarters of people feared an influx of new cars would mean a lack of parking, as well as more congestion. The extra noise caused by potential new residents was a concern for 53.9% of people, but they were also worried about the ability of local services to cope with an increase in population. Warren Bright concluded:

With space at a premium and with opposition to housing such as new flats, reconciling the calls to address the housing shortage with local opinion appears even more complicated.