It is vital that the new National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (Regenerate, May, page11) avoids simplistic assumptions about the relationship between house prices and how many homes are built.

We have found no evidence to suggest that not enough land is being allocated or that this is the cause of high house prices. Evidence shows that councils are allocating land (for example, in the South-east region, around seven years鈥� worth of housing land has been allocated or has planning permission) and housebuilding has increased. Unfortunately, in many instances developers prefer to build up their landbanks rather than build homes. We know, for instance, that landbanks (land with outline planning permission or better) held by the 17 leading housebuilders in Great Britain in 1998 increased by 44% (from 237,069 plots to 341,552) over the seven years to 2005.

A wide range of factors affect house prices, such as the quality of the neighbourhood, proximity to trees or open space, school exam results and interest rates. We are asking the NHPAU to be realistic about what affects house prices and what the planning system can achieve. Planning does not control interest rates or schools, for example. Where and how development takes place profoundly affects the quality of local neighbourhoods and the local environment 鈥� it is important the new body understands this. A narrow economic focus would have devastating consequences for communities and the environment.

Kate Gordon, senior planning officer, Campaign to Protect Rural England

Source

RegenerateLive