Brits’ support for housebuilding in their local area has fallen since the General Election, research by Stack Data Strategy has revealed.
The main reasons people give are increased strain on local services (57%) and the potential loss of green spaces or damage to the environment (49%).
Even young voters are less supportive about new housebuilding, with 29% of 18–34-year-olds saying “new housing won’t be affordable anyway”.
Kieran Kumaria, managing director of Stack Data Strategy, said: “There are supportive majorities to be won for local housebuilding across the country.
“But this data underscores the urgency with which everyone needs to move, because support is dropping even among groups who stand to benefit from new housing, like young people and renters.”
Opposition to housebuilding is growing in areas where housebuilding targets have increased.
For example, net support for local housebuilding has fallen by 22 percentage points in Derbyshire Dales, where the proposed housing target has risen by 164%.
In East Lindsey meanwhile support has also fallen by 22 percentage points whilst the proposed target has increased by 150%.
Attitudes change when people are told about savings to local councils.
When it’s suggested that building more homes in your local area could help the council spend less money on temporary accommodation, net national support for local housebuilding grows from +17% to +37%.