new-build

Average new-build homes will have to last 2,000 years, warns LGA



The average new-build home in England will have to last 2,000 years if current housebuilding rates continue, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).


The LGA is calling on the government to help councils build a new generation of high-quality, genuinely affordable and additional homes.

It believes that not enough homes have been built for decades and as a result existing homes must house more people and last for much longer. 

According to new LGA research, this had led to the country spending nearly as much on the repair and maintenance of existing homes as it does building new ones.

The LGA’s analysis also found that one in 10 purchasers of new homes were dissatisfied with the quality of their property, while one in six would not recommend their housebuilder to a friend.

It was also revealed that most local areas had more homes built before 1930 than from any other period. 

The LGA wants housebuilders to work with councils to ensure new homes are built to a good quality and will stand the test of time.

“Our country’s failure to build enough homes over the past few decades is putting huge pressure on our existing housing stock,” said Cllr Judith Black, the LGA’s housing spokesperson.

“Families are having to spend more on rent or mortgages every month and deserve a decent home that is affordable. 

“But as costs are rising, so is dissatisfaction with the standards of new homes.”

Local government leaders are calling for a “national renaissance” in council housebuilding, which they believe must be central to solving the housing shortage and improving quality. 

The LGA believes that for this to happen, councils need to be able to borrow to build and to keep 100% of the receipts of any home they sell to reinvest in new and existing housing.

“Councils need to be able to ensure quality through the planning system, and to encourage high standards in rented and owned properties across the board,” added Cllr Blake.

“To spark a desperately needed renaissance in council housebuilding, councils also need to be able to borrow to build new homes and keep all receipts from any homes they sell to reinvest in building new homes that are of a good quality and affordable.”



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