From the moment a developer agrees to buy a plot of land the hurdles that need to be jumped to achieve the end result – a brand new collection of homes – can seem insurmountable, many taking months and even years. Not least is the reaction of the local community which, having been consulted, doesn’t always welcome new homes with open arms.
While much is written about the shortage of homes, translating that into a local need where you or I live can be difficult. Where will all these new homes go, and will they put pressure on already stretched local services such as schools and transport? Will a new developer replace an ugly and derelict building or will the development itself become a blot on the landscape?
Two months until the general election and the three main political parties have now revealed their suggestions for dealing with one of the UK’s most pressing issues - the chronic housing shortage.
"House builders want to see a reduction of hurdles, such as meeting zero carbon targets and high energy requirements in a more realistic time frame, to ensure that they can meet growing consumer demand"
As expected, the Tories’ have taken a ‘bottom-up’ approach to their housing and planning policy, promising to hand local authorities and communities the power to make planning decisions and abolish the overriding housing targets currently set by central government. Acknowledging the need for an increase in the number of new home starts they say local authorities will be encouraged to agree to new developments through a range of financial incentives.
House builders have been almost unanimous in their response to the paper. While Taylor Wimpey have come out in mild support of it, saying they could work with the proposals, many others, including Redrow, have expressed a fear that ‘nimbyism’ (Not In My Back Yard) could result in the construction of new homes grinding to a halt completely in some areas.
With the number of new home starts falling dramatically short of the 240,000 a year the current government says is needed by 2016 – last year only 70,000 new homes were built – house builders want to see a reduction of hurdles, such as meeting zero carbon targets and high energy requirements in a more realistic time frame, to ensure that they can meet growing consumer demand. If local authorities and communities are allowed to veto planning applications in their area, a whole generation of house buyers are likely to be priced out of the market as the laws of supply and demand kick in.
The Liberal Democrats support the Tories’ localism policy saying they too would like to see councils regain control of housing in their area. The party has also said it would like to see focus shifted from new housing developments to bringing existing empty homes back into use. But, the party is severely mistaken if it thinks that the UK’s estimated 87,000 dormant homes will suffice in catering for demand.
While the Tories’ and Lib Dem’s proposals threaten to stall the housing recovery, Labour offer an equally poor alternative. The industry craves stability and direction to help lead it out of a difficult period but John Healey, the party’s ninth housing minister since 1998, is thought by many to front an office in disarray.
At a time when 84% of the population aspires to home ownership, new builds offer more buyers the opportunity to get on the property ladder. Competitively priced, many new homes come with a range of incentives including shared ownership options and reduced moving in costs, while the excellent energy efficiency ratings of new builds promise buyers immediate and ongoing savings.
But, work still needs to be done to convince existing residents of the benefits new developments can bring to their area. A common concern is that an increased number of homes in a community will drain local resources, but, in many cases developers work with the local authority to improve transport services and increase the number of local amenities, enhancing the area as a whole and making it a more enjoyable place to live.
How much do you care about the housing crisis? This is the question in the run-up to the general election with housing issues now impacting every resident in every UK constituency – from first time buyers to families. Nimbyism – is it alive and well in your back yard?
See Also: Big Smart Blog (0), New Homes Market (0), Press Releases (0), Property News (0)
Date Published: 11 March 2010
Related News
