Opposition to new housing developments halves if new homes locally affordable

Half of people who object to new housing in their local area would support it if the homes were affordable to people on average local incomes, latest research from countryside charity CPRE reveals.

Whereas four out of 10 (41%) said they did not want to see the construction of more homes close to where they live, that proportion fell to one in five (20%) if those homes were affordable to locals.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

So-called ‘affordable’ housing, which can currently cost anything up to 80% of market rates, is still out of most people’s reach.

CPRE is calling on the government to redefine the term in housing policy and link it directly to local incomes.

The Neg revealed earlier this week that across England 15 Local Planning Authorities refused at least one in two planning submissions for residential developments last year.

But CPRE’s research, carried out by YouGov, shows those developments might have been supported had they been affordable.

The poll also showed an increase in support for new homes from 50% to 71% if they were built on brownfield land.

BROWNFIELD SITES

Roger Mortlock (main picture), CPRE Chief Executive, says: “The results of this poll tell us that people want new homes to be affordable for local people and built on brownfield sites.

“Both are possible with enough political will and we want to see all parties make strong pledges to deliver that.”

He adds: “We need to move away from the idea that people in the countryside are against development. They want the same things as everyone else: housing on a scale and at a cost that’s appropriate for their local community that respects environmental limits.

“For new housing we should prioritise inner-city brownfield development, urban densification and regeneration of towns, delivering the homes we need today while safeguarding the countryside for future generations to enjoy.’