A recent survey by the Building Societies Association (BSA) has revealed that around 50% of the population would oppose a major house building programme if it was in their immediate neighbourhood.

Around 49% of Britons would apparently be opposed to building more than 300 properties in their neighbourhood, and 53% are against developments of between 100 and 299 properties.

However, when asked how much of the UK they believe should be ‘urban’, which is defined as housing, gardens, train lines and parks, nine out of ten said more than 10% of the country should be developed when currently just 7% of the country is.  

The research also revealed that Britons are increasingly open to the types of properties they want to live in, and want greater diversity in the types of properties and tenures available to them.

One in five people say they would be open to buying a shared ownership property, living in an off the shelf kit home, living in a converted retail or office space and even renting long term.

And despite the fact that less than 10% of properties built in the UK are custom builds, more than a third of Britons are open to building their own home.

The research also shows that access to mortgage finance is now the single biggest barrier to owning a home among first-time buyers, rising above raising a deposit for the first time since 2012.

“These consumer views results illustrate the major barrier that Government has to overcome when it comes to boosting housing supply in the UK,” commented Paul Broadhead, Head of Mortgage Policy at the BSA.

“People are open to new developments and even different types of housing and tenure, but the message is clear: ‘not in my backyard’,” he added.

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