NIMBY-ism is waning as voters accept new homes are vital

Whisper it quietly but it appears that NIMBY-ism is on the wane as increasing numbers of voters are recognising the need for more new homes.

As the government is about to unveil a Housing White Paper addressing the need for more homes, the Centre for Policy Studies - a right-wing think tank - says a recent British Social Attitudes Survey found that 21 per cent of respondents would oppose building new homes in their area, compared to 46 per cent in 2010. 

Those supportive of the construction of new homes in their area has climbed from 28 per cent in 2010 to 56 per cent in 2014. “NIMBY-ism is waning” the centre claioms.

It says voters now consider housing to be one of the top five most important issues facing Britain today. 

A new report called Housing: Now Is The Time To Seize The Opportunity, produced by the CPS, says there are three key recommendations that the government should act upon to push forward new housing:

1. Planning Simplification: “The complexity of the current system makes any significant housing development risky and the high fixed costs of navigating the planning system are a barrier to entry for smaller developers, reducing competition” says the CPS.

2. Reducing the tension between developers and local residents: “Legislation should be introduced to create Special Purpose Vehicles which can act to bring together developers, local communities, utility providers, and any other parties and provide a balance between the groups to facilitate a smoother process.”

3. Pink Zones: “Areas should be created with diluted red tape – hence Pink – where community co-operation is incentivised at the beginning of the planning process.”

You can see the full report here. 

The CPS says its recommendations are backed by a string of influential figures including former Tory MP Steve Norris, current Conservative MP and former Cabinet member Peter Lilley, prominent champion of landlords and Conservative peer Lord Flight, and TV presenter and business expert Nick Hewer.