The numbers of houses we build are important. Because the population is increasing and households are on average getting smaller there is a genuine need for new housing, however this must not come at the cost of the countryside.
The last Government imposed top down housing numbers via the Regional Spatial Strategyclaims based on uncertain economic, social and demographic factors which cannot be accurately predicted over a fifteen to twenty year period. We welcomed the revocation of top down housing numbers by the Coalition Government believe we believe it is sensible to plan for the new homes we know we will need rather ones we might need some time in the future.
Allocating too much housing through the planning process led local authorities to release green field land for housing and to allow building on other environmentally undesirable sites such as urban open space or back gardens. Once green field housing land is allocated the market tends to favour those sites over urban regeneration projects.
This not only damages the environment, it increases commuting and congestion and undermines urban regeneration, leading to an increase in social polarisation, with rising deprivation in urban areas and loss of countryside in rural areas.
And there is little evidence that building more dwellings makes housing more affordable given the strength of demand-side factors, such as the buy-to-let market and the major banks’ lending policies. Our report ‘Planning for Housing Affordability’ explains this in more details.
The Coalition Government is no longer imposing the housing numbers from RSS but Local Authorities will have to decide whether to continue with the higher housing figures they were proposing in their Local Development Framework Core Strategies.
So there is still a danger that some towns and cities will continue to grow outwards into the surrounding countryside rather than redevelop their urban sites, undermining the Green Belt which is supposed to protect those areas. We welcomed Government support for Green Belt and will be looking to Government to ensure local authorities continue to prioritise development on previously development land both in their own and in neighbouring authorities.
24.08.10
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