In a week when much attention has been paid to the issue of eco-homes, including the public backing given to them by ex-deputy prime minister John Prescott at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s south-east annual conference and exhibition in Brighton, the question of building and house prices in the country has reared its head again.
For those looking to ensure that rural areas are well stocked with affordable, as well as green homes, this is a great opportunity. Gideon Amos, chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association, said: “The eco-towns initiative provides the opportunity to marry the social need for more affordable housing and community infrastructure with the environmental and economic issues associated with housing growth, such as sustainable public transport, protection of biodiversity and low and zero-carbon energy provision.”
Yet such lofty ideals appear to be lost on some. Today the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) released the results of a survey on public views about the government’s housing plans. The poll, conducted by ICM, found people to be apparently split down the middle on the issue of government housing plans. 53 per cent were against the plan to build three million new homes by 2020. 46 per cent thought such developments would have a negative impact on communities and 50 per cent believed that landowners and developers would be the principal beneficiaries of such plans.
Another finding of the survey revealed clearer support, with 77 percent believing a higher priority should be given to bringing unoccupied homes back into use, while half also thought more concentration on brownfield building should be undertaken.
CPRE senior planner Kate Gordon concluded: “This survey shows that the public would show more sympathy towards the government’s proposals if housebuilding was accompanied by strong measures to tackle urban dereliction and bring back into use empty properties.”
The finding about empty homes will find plenty of supporters, not least among the Empty Homes Agency. Addressing the aforementioned Chartered Institute of Housing event, policy advisor Henry Oliver said the south-east had 80,000 homes it could bring back to use, the institute reported.
However, those looking to provide homes in the country have reacted fiercely against the CPRE findings. Accusing the CPRE of being bananas, Home Builders Federation executive chairman Stewart Baseley explained this was an acronym by saying: “The CPRE’s poll shows them reverting to type - Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone,” adding that the body had ignored the needs of those unable to get affordable homes in its “plea to protect the haves against the have-nots”.
Similarly, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors public policy officer James Rowlands accused the body of “pandering to vested interests” and said while bringing old homes back into use and brownfield building had a part to play, much of the solution to keeping house prices down and offering first-time buyers affordable homes was green field building.
Such responses may be interpreted as shooting the messenger, given that they were a reflection of what people had told the pollsters. Nonetheless, it appears there is a clear determination in many sectors of the housing industry that to ensure house prices are affordable to first-time buyers, new development will have to go ahead in the country. Besides which, with many plans being apparently opposed by around half those polled, that may suggest the other half remains in favour.
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