The Government has been urged by a leading left-wing think tank to double the number of extra homes planned for its four housing growth areas, while increasing investment in transport.
The Institute for Public Policy Research called for ‘more ambition’, given predictions that increasing house-building rates up to 2016 by 200,000 in the Thames Gateway, M11 corridor, Milton Keynes and Ashford in Kent would still leave ‘a significant housing shortfall’.
New households would outstrip new homes by 217,000 by 2016, and the housing needs of more than 720,000 households were not being met at present, it points out.
The most sensible strategy would be to focus additional homes on existing growth areas, and building on existing delivery arrangements in the growth areas, rather than ‘opening up new fronts’ by encouraging new growth areas with the ‘new growth points’ initiative.
The IPPR report makes the recommendation, despite its acknowledgement that there was already a substantial investment gap, particularly for transport. The 2005 estimate from consultant Roger Tym and Partners put the shortfall for the Southeast and east of England regions at £7.9bn, after current public spending, and estimated planning gain contributions were taken into account. Adding 217,000 further homes would put the price tag up by a further £3.2bn.
But Jim Bennett, IPPR’s head of social policy, argued: ‘Without a huge boost in the ambitions of this project, there will still be a desperate shortage of housing in the Southeast, and in 10 years’ time, we will look back on the Government’s “growth areas” plan as a drop in the ocean.’
Increasing house-building targets still further – following the extra 200,000 added by former secretary of state for planning, John Prescott, three years ago (Surveyor, 6 February 2003) – would increase the importance of proper planning of infrastructure, and Department for Transport involvement.
Revising the funding formulae for the DfT to better reflect increases in demand associated with housing growth for next year’s comprehensive spending review would help, as would giving the DfT and other departments shared responsibility for the public service agreement for housing supply.
In addition, the hope is that a planned new ‘strategic framework’ for the Thames Gateway, due to be launched for consultation next month, would strengthen the planning of transport and other infrastructure.
The report also advises that the new communities need to pass ‘the milk test’ – judging a potential home by the ease with which a resident could walk to buy a pint of milk, late at night.
Would you live here? Making the growth areas communities of choice. Order from : www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports
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