The boss of Britain’s sixth-biggest house builder Redrow has declared 2017 the year the UK trade will demolish the 200,000 new homes barrier for the first time since 2008.
New “garden” towns and villages will be built across England in an attempt to alleviate the housing crisis, the Government will announce on Monday. The plans will deliver 14 new villages of between 1,500 to 10,000 homes to be built outside existing settlements.
Gavin Barwell said: “Done well, with genuine local consent, garden villages and towns can help tackle the housing crisis. They can be preferable to what is currently happening in too many parts of the country - poor quality developments plonked on the countryside, in the teeth of local opposition and in defiance of good planning principles.”
Theresa May’s first announcement of 2017 suggests her Government will make housing one of its main priorities in the year ahead.
The company’s chief executive, John Tutte, says the government’s announcement of a £2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund, together with the unlocking of a number of brownfield sites, are likely to be key in achieving the May administration’s target of one million new homes in five years.
John Tutte said: ““The supply of land for housing is improving, with many local authorities now taking a more proactive approach in their area by identifying the number of homes needed to meet current and future demand and implementing plans to progress delivery”
He went on to say: “Analysis of our buyers also reveals their habits towards buying new homes. While our buyers favour new homes for the craftsmanship, low-maintenance lifestyle and 10-year NHBC guarantee they bring, they are also keen to live in a bespoke home that offers individuality, and in 2017 customisation will continue to be popular”
