A new poll published by the Homes Builders Federation shows that the majority of people support building new homes in their area and think that new homes are well designed.
The survey was conducted by YouGov and shows that a clear majority of people (53%) want more house building encouraged in their area, while 32% think house building should be discouraged and 15% say it should be prevented.
Nearly two thirds of those questioned (65%) agreed that Britain needs more homes, and 63% think that within the next five years a shortage of housing will be a serious problem.
The survey also canvassed opinion on quality. Some 52% of the public described the appearance and design of new homes built in their local area in the last two years as very good'' or fairly good'', compared to 24% who thought they were fairly poor'' or very poor''.
Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper said: "People want to know that their sons and daughters will be able to afford a home of their own. That is why many people in our communities now recognise the need to build the new homes that the next generation needs. Unless we increase house building rates less than a third of thirty year old couples will be able to afford a home of their own in twenty years time. Our challenge though is to make sure that the homes are built in the right places, with tough environmental standards, well-designed and attractive places to live with all the services, transport links, schools and hospitals needed to create the communities we all want to live in. The Government has set out clear proposals to meet this challenge and wants to see a growing consensus on supporting the aspirations of our young people. That means public and private sectors working and investing together to strengthen our economy, protect the environment and meet the housing needs not just of some but of all."
