Studies commonly end with a wake-up call, and this study into the lack of residential planning around the Green Belt is no different. The landscape around the south of England is changing. Villages that were recently isolated now form part of a Greater London, an ever expanding, continuous metropolis spreading through the Home Counties. Bluebell groves have disappeared under roads, hospitals, and schools. Chestnut coppices have been replaced with homes for keyworkers. The green belt is being eaten away at a faster rate than ever before.
Why is it that we need extra homes at such an alarming rate? Birth rates are not even high enough to maintain our current population levels. The answer is two part: lifestyle, and economics.
The demise in industry and manufacturing, in favor of the financial sector, and the service sector, is leading to a drain of the population from the north, and into the south east.
Immigration to the UK has also played a part in the increased demand for housing. The net migration of people into the UK currently stands at over 220,000 per year. To accommodate such large numbers, over 50,000 new homes will need to be built each year.
In addition to the changed economy, and immigration, we are living longer. Our lifestyles allow us to live alone more often than in the past. The days of moving from our parents home after marriage, straight into our own family home are gone. Bachelor pads are here to stay.
No wonder there has been such demand for homes over the last few years. Nevertheless, recent pressures for housing need not continue. We must make the accommodation of those moving due to a changing economy, skilled migrants, and bachelors more manageable. The answer is in sensible residential planning to accommodate skilled immigrants that are much needed in the UK.
