The rate of house-building is set to increase dramatically over the next few years. The bulk of these extra homes is earmarked for the South East and the East of England. Hundreds of thousands of new houses are proposed for greenfield sites around major cities.
Critics say that foisting new growth upon the over-crowded South East will create more traffic and pollution, while exacerbating economic imbalances between different areas of the country. Relatively little brownfield land remains in the South East for redevelopment. This means that much new house-building will take place on green belt land, taking a heavy toll on the landscape and local wildlife.
Poorly designed new housing developments also pose practical and quality of life issues for future residents. The Environment Agency predicts that flooding is set to become more common due to climate change, entailing large insurance bills for properties built upon flood plains. Meanwhile large new developments can risk becoming soulless commuter zones without proper investment in job creation and community services.
The Manuka Club works with organisations who oppose poorly thought out regional development plans and advocate more sustainable solutions to the shortage of housing supply. These include better use of previously brownfield land for new homes, better land-use planning policies that integrate communities and reduce the need to travel, and increased housing densities to make more efficient use of space.
