Half of the population would oppose a major house building programme if it was in their immediate neighbourhood, the Building Societies Association (BSA) says.
That’s despite general agreement that a major uplift in new home building is crucial to resolution of the UK’s housing crisis.
According to the BSA’s Property Tracker survey, 49 per cent of Britons would be opposed to building more than 300 properties in their neighbourhood and 53 per cent are anti-developments of 100 and 299 properties.
But when asked how much of the UK they believe should be ‘urban’, which is defined as housing, gardens, train lines and parks, nine out of 10 respondents said more than 10 per cent of the country should be developed. Currently just 7 per cent of the country is developed.
The majority of Britons are only willing to support developments of one to 10 properties being built in their local area.
Against that, the research also shows that Britons are increasingly open to the types of properties they want to live in and want greater diversity in the types of properties and tenures available to them.
One in five people say they would be open to buying a shared ownership property, living in an off the shelf kit home, living in a converted retail or office space and even renting long term.
And despite the fact that less than 10 per cent of properties built in the UK are custom build, more than a third of Britons are open to building their own home.
BSA head of mortgage policy Paul Broadhead (left) says consumers’ views are a “major barrier” for the government to overcome if it is to boost the UK’s housing supply.
“People are open to new developments and even different types of housing and tenure, but the message is clear: ‘not in my backyard’.
“Local opposition is a major barrier to any Government building its way out of the current housing crisis and is why we need the position of Housing Minister to be a full Cabinet position and not just a Minister of State role.
“The provision of housing and shelter is as essential to our country as Health, Education and Defence and that will only come from strong leadership within Government making tough decisions.
“We also need strong leadership to ensure that we have more of the types of properties that a growing portion of the country is crying out for like custom build, kit houses and shared ownership.
“A bigger and more diverse property market that provides a range of housing options for the UK’s 64 million inhabitants is the shortest route to remedying our current housing crisis.”
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