Laura Markus, Policy and External Affairs Manager at the Home Builders Federation explains why new build developments are not just about the homes but building a community.
So often when talking about housing and home building, the focus is on how many homes are being built and how much they cost. Of course, these things are extremely important, and as a country we simply have to be delivering more homes and ensuring the younger generation can get on to the property ladder and access decent housing as previous generations have done. But these discussions often mean we overlook the wider benefits that new home development brings to local communities – and homeowners.
New build estates don’t just deliver homes, they also help create thriving communities across the UK. When builders deliver new developments they support local economies and shops, boost local education services, improve community facilities and open spaces, and provide affordable housing, all of which are funded through the contributions home builders make to local authorities as part of the process to secure planning permission.
Recent research published by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) explores the benefit of development to local communities. It finds that the 221,000 homes built in England last year generated over £6bn in spending for local shops, £620m for local schools and £200m invested in developing local open spaces.
The new Government aims to deliver 1.5 million new homes over its term in Parliament. If these ambitious housing targets are achieved, the next five years will see each individual council across England receive an average of £13m for schools, almost £10m in council tax contributions, and more than £4m for community open spaces to benefit local people. Just imagine the impact the impact this could have.
Designing for communities
Developers understand that building a home goes beyond the bricks and mortar of a housing development. The strength of a community is intrinsically linked to mental health. Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index consistently finds that the happiest places to live are the ones with a sense of community and essential services, such as good schools and transport links. And this is baked into the initial design of new developments.
Many home builders are going beyond investment in essential infrastructure like schools, transport links, and open spaces. New developments often feature spaces for people to get outside and communities to connect, including parks and playgrounds, walking routes, community gardens, sensory spaces and allotments. There are also fantastic examples of shared office spaces, community cafes, and nature-friendly initiatives that don’t just bring people together but birds and bugs too.
The infrastructure available on new developments provides a chance to connect with others who are on the same journey of making one of life’s biggest purchases. In fact, many new homeowners report a strong sense of community on their development as friendly neighbours seem eager to connect and share as they settle into their new surroundings. Plus, with a higher proportion of new builds bought by first time buyers, you’re likely to meet others starting their homeownership journey and embracing an exciting new chapter in life.
So why is this important?
Many of us are unaware of the significant investment made by home builders within the communities where development takes place, despite new and existing residents benefiting from it. So, it’s perhaps unsurprising that it can be popular to be unsupportive of development.
In fact, the biggest block to new homes being delivered over the last few years has been NIMBYism – that’s Not In My Back Yard – which is often justified not as opposition to the homes themselves, but that the local community cannot cope with the increase in population. It is why it is so important that local authorities invest the money that developers provide as part of the planning agreement quickly and effectively in the local area.
NIMBYism will always exist to some extent, but some opposition could be won over if local people were more aware of the economic and social benefits that new homes bring. This would help to ensure that more homes are built more quickly, in turn helping to meet the demand for housing and support more people to achieve their dream of homeownership.
Home builders are passionate about the communities they provide. We are encouraging the Government to take steps to make it clear when and why infrastructure funded by developer contributions is being delivered, so that communities can understand and make the most of the facilities being funded by the new homes being built around them. With the Government putting increasing housing supply as one of its top policy priorities, there is an opportunity not just to provide more desperately needed homes, and in the process creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs and boosting local economies up and down the country, but also to generate billions of pounds worth of investment in our infrastructure and in our communities.
For more information and guidance on buying a new build home, visit newhomesweek.co.uk
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