Eyesore, soul-sapping housing that short-changes the people who have to inhabit it is not the exception but the norm, according to a new report.

Only 18 per cent of new homes can be classed as “very good” or “good” and 27 per cent are of such poor quality that they should never have been given planning permission, according to an audit of 300 private housing developments conducted by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe).

Construction groups persist in providing identikit “houses built for nowhere, but found everywhere“, it says.

The survey by Cabe, found a concentration of eyesores in the West Midlands.

Some of the schemes surveyed were reminiscent of the worst practices of the 1960s, although they were put up between 2003 and last year. This was before changes to the planning system, including a key piece of government guidance – Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) – introduced last December. In theory, this should put design at the top of the housing agenda.

If you would like the opportunity to vent your frustration or stick up for your modern home then please call 01494 733528 or e-mail siobhan.canning@talkbackthames.tv

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Siobhan Canning
Assistant Producer – Kevin’s Grand Design
Talkback Thames
01494 733528

Wrong size, wrong shape, wrong place: developers are building tiny inner-city flats when buyers want three-bed family houses. Meanwhile new apartments stand empty and are losing value. Susan Emmett reports

Britain needs new homes and developers are more than happy to oblige. But they are not building the homes we want. Families, couples, singletons and even first-time buyers want houses, yet developers continue to build inadequately sized flats at the most astonishing rate, as Bricks and Mortar can disclose.

Nearly two thirds of those questioned (65 per cent) agreed that Britain needs more homes, and 63 per cent think that within the next five years a shortage of housing will be a serious problem.

The survey also canvassed opinion on quality. Some 52 per cent of the public described the appearance and design of new homes built in their local area in the last two years as very good or fairly good, compared to 24 per cent who thought they were fairly poor or very poor.

Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper said:

People want to know that their sons and daughters will be able to afford a home of their own. That is why many people in our communities now recognise the need to build the new homes that the next generation needs. Unless we increase house building rates less than a third of thirty year old couples will be able to afford a home of their own in twenty years time.

She added:

Our challenge though is to make sure that the homes are built in the right places, with tough environmental standards, well-designed and attractive places to live with all the services, transport links, schools and hospitals needed to create the communities we all want to live in.

She went on to say:

The Government has set out clear proposals to meet this challenge and wants to see a growing consensus on supporting the aspirations of our young people. That means public and private sectors working and investing together to strengthen our economy, protect the environment and meet the housing needs not just of some but of all.

Although the average size of a new home has changed little in 25 years, generous bedrooms and living spaces are being sacrificed to cram in ensuite showers, utility areas, playrooms and studies.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says television property shows have left buyers wanting the facilities of a large home even if they can only afford a modest property.

Read more: New Homes

Staple of suburbia tops poll for England?s favourite house type

New research from CABE (the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) reveals that the humble bungalow has been usurped by the detached house to become England ‘s favourite house type.

The research conducted by MORI for CABE, reveals that over half the population want to live in a detached house, compared to 22% who preferenced a bungalow, 14% a semi-detached house and 7% a terraced house. The detached house was the most popular choice for the public, regardless of social status or ethnicity.

This follows a similar poll conducted by CABE in 2002, which revealed that the bungalow was the public’s favoured house type, followed by the village house.

A new CABE report ‘What Home Buyers Want’ , draws on a range of recent opinion surveys and sets out what we know about what homebuyers want and compares this with the supply of housing planned for the future. The findings reveal a significant gap between the current preferences of homebuyers and the vision of planners and architects, such as Richard Rogers. While supply is currently planned around a model of higher density living in a ‘compact city’, the overwhelming majority of homebuyers still want to live in a suburban dwelling.

Richard Simmons, Chief Executive of CABE, commenting on the findings, said:

We have a long history of suburban living in England . It’s been a common aspiration for several generations. CABE’s latest report shows that most people still want to live in detached homes outside our cities and towns, which they perceive to be safer. The challenge for us is how we reconcile this consumer preference with the need to build more homes and not devour the green belt

Our historic Garden City suburbs, such as Letchworth and Bourneville, as well as contemporary developments like Queen Elizabeth Park, offer a good model that combines the need for efficient use of land and densities with a quality of life that people want.’

The report shows that, alongside the preference for suburban living, homebuyers most value local services, such as schools, shops and libraries. They also see ‘walkable’ neighbourhoods as an opportunity for social contact and an important way of creating a sense of community.

Other priorities for the public include:

• Building style : The poll revealed that period properties (Edwardian, Victorian and Georgian) are considered most desirable overall, by 37% of the public, though preferences are moderated by age with the youngest group preferring ?contemporary/loft’ style homes. Only 4% cited ?Mock Tudor’.
• Car parking : This was one of the most frequently mentioned of all problems encountered by homebuyers. Of those living in recently built developments, 45% of respondents complained spontaneously about parking while only 1% commented positively about it. One of the reasons for the rejection of higher densities was a concern about parking problems. Inadequate on and off street parking forces residents to park their cars in adjacent areas.
• Private outside space : A crucial factor for homebuyers in choosing a house is the provision of outside space, and of gardens in particular. Over three quarters of the respondents preferred to have a private garden rather than sharing a communal space with their neighbours. Front gardens are also viewed as important, as buffer between private space and the public realm of the street. Only 1% of buyers said they would accept no space between the house and the street and only 20% would accept less than 6 feet.

Most newly built houses are “mediocre” or worse, a report from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment says.
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