"The reality is however that we are suffering from an acute housing crisis and at present only 6% of the UK is built on"
According to the research, which analyised 1,200 people on their feelings towards housing, 45% would actively classify themselves as a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard).
The results prompted Jackson-Stops Chairman, Nick Leeming, to call for homeowners to acknowledge that NIMBYism is creating an issue among local communities, and to challenge themselves to be more accepting of new housing plans where homes are most urgently needed.
While almost all acknowledge the nationwide affordability problem facing young people in getting on the ladder, 71% feel that protecting the greenbelt is more important than building more new homes. Almost three quarters (70%) feel that their local infrastructure is unable to cope with further increases to population and housing.
A significant proportion (81%) of those surveyed feel that young people today have a tougher time getting on the housing ladder than their parents, with house price inflation cited as the primary reason for this. As a result, 22% of respondents reported that they received financial help from the Bank of Mum and Dad to raise their deposit, rising to 31% in London.
Nick Leeming, Chairman at Jackson-Stops, comments: “Housing is an incredibly complex issue and while these results reveal some stark findings it is important to further investigate the reasons why many don’t wish to see more local housebuilding. In comparison with other countries, the UK occupies a relatively small footprint and many of our villages, towns and cities are densely populated.
Over recent years they have expanded to welcome new residents, but we are now seeing local infrastructure and services become stretched to capacity with shrinking school catchments, a lack of on-street parking and congested roads all becoming daily issues affecting locals.
The reality is however that we are suffering from an acute housing crisis and at present only 6% of the UK is built on. With the UK population expected to surpass 70 million in just eight years’ time, we must challenge our views on local house building. Many may not realise it but these findings show that parental financial assistance is becoming more widely accepted as a solution, when the welcoming of new local homes could achieve far more in the long term.
The Government has announced a raft of measures to stimulate housebuilding, including warning local councils that they could be stripped of planning powers if they do not achieve their targets. Local communities should be encouraged to play an active role in enabling development and challenge themselves to become YIMBYs (Yes In My Back Yard), to ensure that homes which conform to local need and architecture can be delivered quickly for future generations. ”
