Britain - Reform to Prevent Cities from Turning into Grey Deserts

Copyright 2006 The Press Association Limited
February 27, 2006
Cities Becoming Grey Deserts, Warns Think-Tank
Andrew Woodcock, PA Chief Political Correspondent

Radical reform of the planning system is needed to save Britain's cities from becoming "grey deserts'' and deliver the kind of family homes with gardens that most people want to live in, according to a report released today.

The report by the Policy Exchange think-tank warns that current planning laws encourage the development of high-density, high-rise housing in cities, while allowing parks, gardens and urban open spaces to be built over in the name of protecting the countryside.

One consequence, according to a poll carried out for the think-tank, is that 75% of people believe that, despite rising incomes, a family home with a garden is now less affordable than it was 20 years ago.

Today's report, entitled Better Homes, Greener Cities, argues that evidence from the housing market proves that, given the choice, most families would prefer to live in spacious and green "suburban'' surroundings.

But the planning laws discourage building on "greenfield'' sites in the countryside, while concentrating ever more development on the towns and cities which house 80% of Britain's population despite making up only 10% of the area of the country.

"Development takes place on the kinds of green spaces people actually use and value - allotments, playing fields, parks and gardens - in order to save agricultural land,'' said the report.

"British towns and cities are becoming grey deserts, with serious implications for the health and well-being of the 50 million Britons who live in urban and suburban areas.''

The report proposed a new Social Cost Tariff of up to £500,000 a hectare to compensate local communities for the added burdens of developments and give local authorities an incentive to promote house-building. The new tariff - worth about £3.5 billion a year across the country - would replace current development taxes and would be retained by local councils.

Local authorities should retain business rate, council tax and a proportion of income tax receipts from new developments, so they are encouraged to attract new inhabitants to their areas, said the report.

While Government should continue to set minimum levels for housing development, local communities should be given a much greater say over how many homes are built and where they are located.

Area plans should be made more flexible, allowing easier changes in the designated use of particular districts, and there should be a presumption in favour of development unless local authorities can show it is undesirable.

And there should be a total moratorium on the development of gardens, playing fields, parks, allotments and other green spaces within towns and cities.

Policy Exchange director Nicholas Boles said: "The Government's policy of cramming people into multi-storey blocks in crowded cities means that a family home with a garden is becoming a luxury few can afford.

"We need to build more houses but this must be done in a way that respects the needs of the environment.

"Our proposals will compensate communities for the cost of development and encourage more house-building, so that more and more people will be able to afford the family homes to which they aspire.''

Today's poll found that 76% of respondents feel planning decisions are best taken by local, rather than central, government.

Some 57% did not agree that developing on green spaces was a price worth paying for more affordable homes, but the proportion was lower among 18-24 year olds (49%) and semi-skilled or unskilled respondents (52%), who typically do not own their own home.

Building on urban green spaces was the most unpopular type of development, opposed by 38% of those questioned, followed by developments in open countryside (30%) and on green space at the edge of towns (27%).

The Local Government Association said there were "serious problems'' with some of Policy Exchange's recommendations, which appeared to promote business interests at the expense of the views of local people.

David Sparks, the chairman of the LGA's environment board, said: "There does need to be reform of how new developments benefit the whole community. There is a need for more sources of local funding to be available in a more timely way in order to fund desperately-needed infrastructure that must accompany any new development, whether it is schools, roads, sewerage or health facilities.''>