The Local Government Association (LGA) warns that the average new home in England will have to last 2,000 years if the sluggish rate of house building and replacement continues.
The LGA says the country has not built enough homes for decades, and, as a result, existing homes must house more people and last for much longer. They say this has led to the country spending nearly as much on the repair and maintenance of existing homes as it does building new ones. But their analysis reveals that one in 10 new home buyers are dissatisfied with the quality of their new home and one in six would not recommend their house builder to a friend.
The research, carried out for the LGA, also reveals most local areas have more homes built before 1930 than from any other period of time, demonstrating the age of much of England’s housing stock. The LGA is calling on government to help councils build a new generation of high quality, genuinely affordable and additional homes, supported by adequate infrastructure and services. Housebuilders also need to work with councils to ensure any new home is built to a good quality, and will stand the test of time. With increasing numbers of people in the private rented sector, council leaders are also concerned that 28 per cent of privately rented homes are not decent, an increase of 150,000 homes since 2006. In comparison, council homes are more likely to be better quality, with 85 per cent meeting the decent homes standard, an increase from 70 per cent in 2008.
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