Everyone can see that the main three political parties are fudging their response to the housing crises in the UK. Nearly every week that passes by sees various proposals from across the political divide make proclamations about the need for more homes, yet there is no real concrete ideas about where they should be built. It’s time that elected officials stopped talking about where houses shouldn’t be built and start declaring where, when and how housing should be delivered.
The closer we get to the election, now just 181 days away, the more politicians will duck difficult decisions and sit firmly on the fence. A position made more uncomfortable by the increasing prevalence of UKIP and their unrealistic view on housing delivery.
For too long the Green Belt has been seen as untouchable and unattainable, with politicians indulging a misguided view of our green and pleasant land, leading to a policy void that doesn’t show any sign of being filled.
It is important to recognise that the Green Belt is not the only answer. We need politicians to be bold and look at the wider picture to increase the supply of land. But to start from a position where we simply rule out the Green Belt is fudging the issue and passing the buck.
In reality much of the Green Belt is far from green idyllic land and only a fraction of Green Belt land needs to be developed on to deliver the homes we need, where we need them. The pinch is felt most in cities, where demand and a chronic shortage of supply is having a wide impact on the ability of cities to attract the right talent or control demand.
Our major cities also happen to be home to some of the lowest rates of house-building: between 2008 and 2013 there were relatively more homes built in Barnsley, the second most affordable city in which to buy a house given local incomes, than in London or Oxford – the least affordable cities.
Making use of existing brownfield land is a necessary step to ensure we overcome this crisis. However to get anywhere near the homes needed to support long term growth, the reality is that our local and national politicians are going to have to tackle the Green Belt debate head on.
At the moment we are all being short changed, the ongoing inertia needs to stop and decisive action be taken.