The question arises: How many homes does the UK require to accommodate its growing population?
The UK's housing crisis has been a pressing issue for several years, and the government has set a target of building 300,000 new homes per year to address this problem [1][2]. This target is a significant increase compared to historical delivery, as annual homebuilding in England peaked at around 250,000 units for only two years between 1992 and 2024 [1].
To put this target into context, a recent report by the countryside charity CPRE suggests that 1.2 million new homes could be built on currently dormant brownfield land in England [4]. This untapped potential could potentially contribute significantly to the government's target.
However, building on brownfield sites presents its own challenges. Most brownfield land consists of relatively small buildings and plots that may not appeal to larger home builders [5]. As a result, smaller-scale developers, such as SMEs, have a vital role to play in making the most of these opportunities [6].
In fact, many first-time developers are entering the market, with many being existing landlords who have realized the potential of the buy-to-let market's decline and the opportunities in converting buildings [7]. The government has also helped by creating increased permitted development rights, making it easier than ever to convert these buildings [8].
Despite these efforts, reaching the government's target remains a challenge. According to the Centre for Cities, we would need to build at a rate of 654,000 new homes per year to make up the deficit within the next decade [9]. To reach the government's target of 300,000 new homes per year, production would need to increase by over 20% compared to the best recent year's production [10].
The complexity of the housing issue calls for a nuanced approach that involves not only meeting targets but also addressing public sentiment and leveraging alternative solutions, such as brownfield redevelopment [11]. Local and national government need to do more to ensure that first-time property developers can take advantage of the opportunities that brownfield redevelopment represents [12].
In conclusion, the UK's housing crisis requires a concerted effort to increase homebuilding, particularly on brownfield sites. With the right policies and support in place, it is possible to meet the government's target of building 300,000 new homes per year and address the UK’s long-term housing shortage.
References:
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-delivery-statistics-2019-to-2020
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-delivery-test-2018-to-2019
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-green-paper
- https://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/reports/state-of-brownfield-2022/
- https://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/reports/brownfield-land-in-england-2021/
- https://www.propertyceo.com/uk-housing-crisis-solution-small-developers/
- https://www.ft.com/content/d87a5470-6a50-4a2f-8f7d-f5d81876616d
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permitted-development-rights-for-householders-technical-consultation/permitted-development-rights-for-householders-technical-consultation
- https://www.centreforcities.org/publications/state-of-the-cities-2020/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-delivery-test-2018-to-2019/housing-delivery-test-2018-to-2019
- https://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/reports/state-of-brownfield-2022/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/brownfield-land-registers-statistics-2019-to-2020/brownfield-land-registers-statistics-2019-to-2020
In the midst of the UK's housing crisis, the government aims to construct 300,000 new homes per year to alleviate the issue. However, a report by the countryside charity CPRE suggests that up to 1.2 million new homes could be built on dormant brownfield land in England, potentially boosting the government's home building efforts significantly.
