Building a better Britain
From Shaun Spiers Sir: James O’Shaughnessy claims that Britons ‘live in some of the oldest, pokiest, most expensive homes in the world’ (‘Let them build houses’, 16 July). He wants to build vastly more sprawling, low-density suburban homes. Before we head down this dismal road, let’s look at the facts. House prices are now falling while earnings continue to rise — so housing is becoming more affordable. House construction has been rising rapidly for several years, as have planning permissions for new homes. Two thirds of new homes are houses, not flats and more than 60 per cent of all new homes have at least three bedrooms.
Britain’s urban areas are green and spacious compared with those of many European nations, reflecting the dominance of single family homes over apartments. Our homes may mostly be a few decades or more old but, with high home ownership and growing personal wealth, they are well looked after. What’s needed are more new homes at medium densities on previously developed sites to help regenerate our towns and cities.
Shaun Spiers Chief Executive,
Campaign to Protect Rural England, London SE1
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