Tag Archives: construction
Fewer young people likely to be able to buy their own home in the future
Even if the current plan to build 220,000 new homes in England each year until 2031 is fulfilled young people aged 25 to 34 will still be less able to live in their own home that they did in 2011, according to new research. An analysis report from the Town and Country Planning Association says that currently only 54% of the number of homes needed are being built, putting pressure on prices and rents, and the housing crisis is worse in London and the wider south east where 55% of the homes required need to be located. Even if the homes required are actually built the latest government household projections suggest that young people across the country are struggling more than ever to live independently because of the cost of housing. The research says that the housing requirement to meet projected household formation until 2031 is actually lower than previously anticipated but this is because younger people are already finding they cannot afford to form independent households. Housing shortages and the resultant high prices and rents mean that young people are living with parents or in house shares for longer, rather than forming a household of their own. Rising student debt levels and potential future welfare reform are likely to make their position even more difficult. ‘This research shows that, while it looks as if the projected number of needed homes has dropped, this is because many people now can't afford their own home either to rent or buy and are living with parents or other people longer than they would like to,’ said Kate Henderson, TCPA chief executive. ‘The government needs to see this as a wakeup call. It has already fallen behind on their targets for house building, and this is now having a devastating effect on young people. More needs to be done to build the necessary number of high quality, affordable homes for people who need them,’ she added. Starting in 2011, a minimum of 220,000 homes are needed each year to 2031 if house building is to keep up with projected household growth and even this is not enough to enable couples aged between 25 and 34 to have the same chance of living in their own home as their counterparts in 2011. Of the new homes needed, over half, 55%, are needed in London and the surrounding area. In contrast, in the north east, the number of new households is expected to only rise by 11% over 20 years. Professor Christine Whitehead co-author of the research and Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics it is a major concern that young people are likely to be less well housed in 2031 than their counterparts in 2011. ‘If house building cannot be increased at least to the projected levels other household groups will find themselves in the same boat,’ she added. The research also shows that the government is already falling short… Continue reading
New manifesto calls for a more democratic planning system in the UK
A new manifesto has been launched in the UK to fight back against what it calls an assault on the country’s planning system and calling for a more democratic outlook for home and infrastructure building. Over 60 organisations and individuals have come together to call on the Government to ensure that people are placed back at the heart of the planning system, led by charity the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and supported by environmental and disability rights organisations, professional bodies, housing associations and community groups. The manifesto represents the views of a broad cross sector coalition of organisations and individuals who share a common belief in the value of planning to improve the quality of lives and the condition of communities, according to TCPA chief executive Kate Henderson. ‘We believe that a powerful and democratic planning system can help ensure the delivery of decent healthcare, schools, jobs, public transport and affordable homes which are accessible and have enough space for kids to play,’ she said. ‘These are things that all sections of society should be able to enjoy as a matter of course, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. However, the planning system as we knew it is being continually undermined and devalued though significant reforms and deregulation,’ she explained. ‘Over the last 30 years the reputation of planning has declined and it has lost all sense of the progressive social values that once lay at its core. This is partly because it lost sight of any vision that connected with people's real lives and partly because planning regulation was seen as a brake on the free market. We know this is wrong: the countries that are creating great places have strong planning systems,’ she pointed out. ‘That is why we have brought together organisations and individuals who are determined to ensure that planning shapes the kind of places that this nation deserves. Planning must change so it is genuinely focused on people's needs. Our objective is to reinvent creative social town planning which did so much to lay the foundation of a civilised Britain,’ she added. The manifesto says that the Government should give councils back power over permitted development, rebalance the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure that outcomes for people are just as important as the needs of land owners and developers, and restore a comprehensive framework of place making standards for housing including mandatory minimum standards for accessibility and space. It also says that local Government should adopt a strong social dimension to local plans. This means shaping policy that prioritises place making, providing for the full range of hard and soft infrastructure, and ensuring social and affordable homes receive the highest priority. It also suggests that the private and third sectors should establish corporate commitment to a fair and inclusive planning system while planning professionals and academics should transform planning education to ensure planners have the right skills in community development. As… Continue reading
UK building industry facing severe shortages, says RICS survey
The UK’s construction industry is facing its greatest skills crisis since 1998, with bricklayers and quantity surveyors in shortest supply, a new survey shows. These highest skills shortage on record are set to limit sector growth potential but despite this a sharp growth in construction is reported across UK, according to the report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Over half of respondents, 53%, reported difficulty sourcing labour, with 71% saying they had particular difficulty sourcing bricklayers and 64% highlighting a shortage of quantity surveyors. During the same period in 2011, just 1% of respondents were struggling to find bricklayers and only 15% noted a shortage of quantity surveyors. In addition to labour supply, 69% of firms said that financial constraints, such as access to credit, were among the biggest constraints to growth, while 60% said that regulatory and planning issues were potent constraints. However, despite these challenges, the survey shows significant areas of growth, with the number of new construction projects increasing, particularly in private housing and commercial sectors. While official figures, which are often subject to revision, highlighted a slight contraction in output over the three months to August, a substantial proportion of respondents in the RICS survey reported an increase in their workloads, a net balance +39%, with 29% of firms saying that they were operating at full capacity. The private housing and commercial sectors continue to lead the growth in workloads with net balances of 47% and 46% respectively reporting an increase. However, momentum was least firm in the public sector with net balances of 12% and 21% reporting growth in workloads in the housing and non-housing segments respectively. Meanwhile, in the infrastructure sector, growth accelerated somewhat with a balance of 34% seeing workloads rise, up from 25% in the previous quarter. ‘While it’s exciting to see that the UK is experiencing growth across the construction sectors, future growth will only be sustainable if the growing skills crisis is addressed. The availability of both blue collar and white collar construction workers is reaching crisis point,’ said Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist. ‘We haven’t witnessed a labour shortage of its kind in nearly 20 years. Without the relevant skills, we will not be able to grow many of the Government’s priority construction sectors such as infrastructure,’ he pointed out. ‘Currently, while we know that there is a serious shortage of skills, we don’t yet know why we have seen such a dramatic drop in the labour market over the past five years. Part of the problem is the legacy of the collapse in the sector following the onset of the Global Financial Crisis,’ he explained. ‘Many professionals and other skilled workers chose to leave the industry and quite simply have not returned or been replaced. A real focus on attracting more young people into the industry is critical alongside an expansion of apprenticeship opportunities,’ he added. Continue reading
