The British Social Attitudes survey asked people whether they would support new homes being built in their local area, revealing that between 2010 and 2013 opposition fell by 15%.
In 2010, some 46% said they would oppose new homes being built in their local area, compared to 31% in 2013. The data also shows that support for new house building increased from 28% in 2010 to 47% in 2013.
Net opposition, that is the percentage of those saying they are opposed minus those saying they are supportive, fell from 18% in 2010 to -16% and the strength of opposition for new homes has also while the proportion of respondents who said they would strongly support new homes more than doubled from 5% to 11%.
Opposition fell across all age, tenure and income subgroups and among respondents living in different types of areas. However, home owners living in small cities and towns and in rural areas were still more likely to be opposed than renters and those living in large cities.
When respondents who were not supportive of new homes were asked which of the potential benefits from new housing would make them more supportive, they most commonly selected more employment opportunities, 17%, more low cost home ownership at 11%, and more or improved medical facilities also at 11%.
When all respondents were asked if they would be more supportive of new homes if the government provided local councils with more money to spend on local services for every new home built almost half, 47%, said this would make them more supportive.
A majority of respondents thought that a more localist planning system would make them more supportive of new homes. Some 63% said they would be more supportive if local people were given greater control and say over what gets built in their local area.
When asked if the government brought in changes so that when people from a local community come together to get involved in planning for new development, that community can receive extra money to be spent locally, 57% said this would make them more supportive.
The survey also found that 38% agreed whether they support new homes being built in their local area depended on their design and 48% agreed that properties built in the last decade were better or much better designed, in terms of their external appearance, compared to those built around 20 or 30 years ago. Some 27% thought design was worse or much worse.
Some 82% agreed there is a shortage of homes that are affordable to buy in England, with 73% agreeing there is a shortage their local area and 83% agreed it was more difficult or much more difficult to buy their own home today compared to 20 years ago.
Views were mixed whether building more homes would improve affordability with 40% agreeing that building more homes would improve the affordability of housing in their local area while 55% agreed that homes would continue to be unaffordable in their local area even if new homes are built.
The fall in opposition to new house building was biggest among those aged over 65. In 2010 over half of over 65s, 51%, were opposed to new homes being built in their local area and this fell to less than a third, 30%, by 2013.
Those aged 35 to 54 need the most convincing with 36% of them saying that they oppose or strongly oppose new homes being built in their local area.
‘These findings suggest that the difficulties faced by young people seeking to get on the housing ladder have cut through with the public as a whole,’ said Penny Young, chief executive, NatCen Social Research which carried out the survey.
‘In particular, the parents of Generation Rent have recognised that if their children are going to see the benefits of home ownership then new houses are needed,’ she added.
