Are we building enough homes where we plan to build them?

Building more housing has been a topic in the spotlight for years now. There are lots of positives, including planning reform. However, there is still a huge amount to do. We'd love to help, supporting clients looking to build high end homes. We're one of the best architects in London, with an award winning portfolio of wonderful projects.

One of the crucial things to look at is where we will build homes. They should be in suitable locations, where people want to live, and with the necessary infrastructure. Historically though, there seems to be problems. We want to have a closer look at this here to see what needs to change.

90s

Interestingly, in 1999 the Government's aim was to ensure 60% of all new build housing was in urban areas. There was scepticism that this was possible. Local governments in particular were apprehensive because of things like land availability.

A noteworthy thing at the time was local governments had to have five year plans for housing in their areas. So, they had to identify and allocate sites for development. Crucially, they had to indicate that land was "genuinely available". This meant there were no significant hurdles to prevent building, such as access problems. If you need help with this today, you can speak to us and work with top architects in London.

While local governments were doing a lot to identify land to build on in the 90s, the figures for delivery show a deficit. Just 39% of new build housing in the period was on plots that had been identified. The remaining 61% was on unallocated sites. This is a harsh criticism of the whole arrangement.

The focus at the time was to examine the flaws in the system. Most importantly, the government had to look into why so many sites did not pass the allocation stage. The crucial finding was that in 73% of cases, the problem was viability. As a result, they had to change the definition of what makes sites "genuinely available", making it so local governments could not allocate sites for development if there were viability concerns.

Today

The issue with allocation seems to persist today. In fact, there is an estimate that in 2020 as many as a million homes featured in plans from local governments had not progressed. While sites had been identified, the next phases such as getting planning permission and choosing developers had not taken place.

At the end of the day, the fear is that 50% of new build housing is being built on unallocated land today. At the same time, a number of projects in urban areas are struggling to progress. We need change to ensure we are building homes where people want to live, especially on sites that are available to develop rather than areas where we traditionally don't allow housing.

Plan a project with top architects in London

Coffey Residential specialises in creating high end homes. We've got a wonderful portfolio of signature properties, including different types of home. From lovely mews houses to apartments and terrace homes, we believe in human-centred designs, exceptional craftsmanship, and luxury.

So, browse today and see some of our best designs. Then, if you want to speak to innovative architects in London, you can rely on us. Remember, we can find solutions for various sites, including those where there may be viability concerns.