How do we build 1.5m homes? Let’s start by hearing more voices

By Richard Fearon, CEO of Leeds Building Society

Division has become an unfortunate part of everyday life. We see it through conflict on a global scale, in our politics and within our own communities, and it’s amplified constantly by social media.

This sense of conflict extends into many areas including housing which, though less dramatic, still has a profound impact on people’s lives.

Debates around where additional homes should be built, what they should look like, who they should be built for – all of these descend quickly into entrenched and opposing camps which not only delays solving the problem but overlooks the very real human impact being felt today.

The benefits of additional homes

Good quality housing increases education chances, leads to healthier lifestyles and helps create strong communities.

The cost of owning a home, however, is as high as it has ever been – about 8.3 times average earnings today compared to just over 4 times at the turn of the century, and we estimate there will be about 426,000 fewer first time buyers in the 5 years up to 2027, compared to the historic average.

Building more homes is a fundamental part in addressing that challenge. Other reforms are required too but increasing supply is key to make homeownership more attainable, as well as improving the number of properties available for private or social rent.

The Government has set a target of building 1.5m homes over the next five years.

To have any hope of achieving that we must overcome the division we see within the debates about housing, particularly at a local level.

How broader community consultation could help

We believe one way to achieve that is through widening community input on planning. Our current planning system is inbalanced, putting too much weight on the voices of the few who proactively choose to respond and are more likely to oppose new homes.

Hearing from a more representative cross section of voices earlier in the planning process – rather than only those opposed to individual schemes once they are drawn up – will create a fairer system.

It is the central argument of a new paper Leeds Building Society has commissioned and which has been authored by the research group Public First.

Using data from a nationally representative survey and separate immersive research which reaches people who would not usually take part in planning consultations, it reveals a way forward that can foster community cohesion and lead to more homes.

It shows that the majority of people are supportive of the need to build more homes in their local area and supportive of the need to listen to local people.

Respondents said they would be more in favour of developments going ahead if they knew local people overall were in favour of the plans and 8 in 10 believed local councils and developers should be required to seek the views of the wider community before making a planning decision.

How the approach has worked elsewhere

These methods have been shown to work elsewhere. In Hutt City, near Wellington in New Zealand, the local authority consulted a representative cross-section of their community, using a citizens’ panel.

It uncovered 50% more support for additional housing than the traditional planning consultation approach, prompting officials to drive greater reform of development rules which resulted in a tripling of the number of homes built.

Fixing the UK’s housing crisis requires unity, not division. The lessons from overseas show that when more voices are heard and communities come together, the number of homes built can increase, and the process becomes less contentious. By addressing division, we can foster stronger communities and create a more accessible path to homeownership for everyone.

Read the full report, ‘The Case for Inclusive Planning’ from Leeds Building Society and Public First.