In numbers, w/e October 13 – Place Design Scotland

THERE appears to be broad backing for the idea of building new towns, according to a survey conducted by pollsters, YouGov.

By any measure – all adults, by politics, by age, by nation or region and by socio-economic status – there is majority support (either strong or somewhat) for the idea of a new town.

Earlier this week, Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, pledged both new towns and an ambitious housebuilding programme. He was speaking at the party’s annual conference, in Liverpool.

The YouGov findings (here) concerned three questions, as follows:

Would you support or oppose building new town‑sized settlements in the UK in areas with significant unmet housing need?

All adults: Strongly support 16 per cent, Somewhat support 37 per cent, Somewhat opposed 18 per cent, Strongly oppose ten per cent and Don’t know 19 per cent;

Scots adults – Strongly support 16 per cent, Somewhat support 42 per cent, Somewhat oppose ten per cent, Strongly oppose seven per cent and Don’t know 25 per cent;

UK men: Strongly support 20 per cent, Somewhat support 36 per cent, Somewhat oppose 17 per cent, Strongly oppose 11 per cent and Don’t know 16 per cent;

UK women: Strongly support 12 per cent, Somewhat support 37 per cent, Somewhat oppose 19 per cent, Strongly oppose nine per cent and Don’t know 22 per cent;

UK Labour Party voters: Strongly support 24 per cent, Somewhat support 41 per cent, Somewhat oppose 12 per cent, Strongly oppose six per cent and Don’t know 16 per cent;

UK Conservative Party voters: Strongly support 11 per cent, Somewhat support 29 per cent, Somewhat oppose 17 per cent, Strongly oppose 15 per cent and Don’t know 16 per cent;

UK Liberal Democrat Party voters: Strongly support 17 per cent, Somewhat support 39 per cent, Somewhat oppose 17 per cent, Strongly oppose five per cent and Don’t know 22 per cent;

Adults aged 18-24: Strongly support 18 per cent, Somewhat support 28 per cent, Somewhat oppose 20 per cent, Strongly oppose six per cent and Don’t know 28 per cent;

Adults aged 25-49: Strongly support 20 per cent, Somewhat support 37 per cent, Somewhat oppose 13 per cent, Strongly oppose nine per cent and Don’t know 21 per cent;

Adults aged 50-64: Strongly support 13 per cent, Somewhat support 37 per cent, Somewhat oppose 21 per cent, Strongly oppose 13 per cent and Don’t know 17 per cent;

Adults aged 65+: Strongly support 12 per cent, Somewhat support 39 per cent, Somewhat oppose 23 per cent, Strongly oppose 12 per cent and Don’t know 15 per cent;

Adults by socio-economic status, ABC1: Strongly support 18 per cent, Somewhat support 38 per cent, Somewhat oppose 16 per cent, Strongly oppose ten per cent and Don’t know 18 per cent; and

Adults by socio-economic status, C2DE: Strongly support 13 per cent, Somewhat support 35 per cent, Somewhat oppose 20 per cent, Strongly oppose 11 per cent and Don’t know 21 per cent.

Would you support or allow low‑quality green belt such as scrubland and car parks to be released for housing development?

All adults: Strongly support 14 per cent, Somewhat support 36 per cent, Somewhat oppose 17 per cent, Strongly oppose 16 per cent and Don’t know 17 per cent;

Scots adults: Strongly support 16 per cent, Somewhat support 38 per cent, Somewhat oppose 15 per cent, Strongly oppose 11 per cent and Don’t know 20 per cent;

UK men: Strongly support 17 per cent, Somewhat support 38 per cent, Somewhat oppose 17 per cent, Strongly oppose 15 per cent and Don’t know 13 per cent;

UK women: Strongly support 12 per cent, Somewhat support 34 per cent, Somewhat oppose 16 per cent, Strongly oppose 17 per cent and Don’t know 20 per cent;

UK Labour Party voters: Strongly support 19 per cent, Somewhat support 43 per cent, Somewhat oppose 13 per cent, Strongly oppose 11 per cent and Don’t know 14 per cent;

UK Conservative Party voters: Strongly support 13 per cent, Somewhat support 33 per cent, Somewhat oppose 21 per cent, Strongly oppose 21 per cent and Don’t know 11 per cent;

UK Liberal Democratic Party voters: Strongly support 16 per cent, Somewhat support 40 per cent, Somewhat oppose 15 per cent, Strongly oppose 14 per cent and Don’t know 16 per cent;

Adults aged 18-24: Strongly support 13 per cent, Somewhat support 37 per cent, Somewhat oppose ten per cent, Strongly oppose seven per cent and Don’t know 31 per cent;

Adults aged 25-49: Strongly support 16 per cent, Somewhat support 36 per cent, Somewhat oppose 13 per cent, Strongly oppose 15 per cent and Don’t know 20 per cent;

Adults aged 50-64: Strongly support 13 per cent, Somewhat support 36 per cent, Somewhat oppose 20 per cent, Strongly oppose 19 per cent and Don’t know 12 per cent;

Adults aged 65+: Strongly support 14 per cent, Somewhat support 38 per cent, Somewhat oppose 22 per cent, Strongly oppose 19 per cent and Don’t know eight per cent;

Adults by socio-economic status, ABC1: Strongly support 16 per cent, Somewhat support 37 per cent, Somewhat oppose 16 per cent, Strongly oppose 15 per cent and Don’t know 15 per cent; and

Adults by socio-economic status, C2DE: Strongly support 12 per cent, Somewhat support 36 per cent, Somewhat oppose 17 per cent, Strongly oppose 18 per cent and Don’t know 18 per cent.

From everything you’ve ever seen and heard about the UK planning system (i.e. the rules on housebuilding), is it your impression that…

All adults: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 21 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 24 per cent, It gets the balance about right 21 per cent and Don’t know 33 per cent;

Scots adults: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 24 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 19 per cent, It gets the balance about right 19 per cent and Don’t know 38 per cent;

UK men: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 26 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 23 per cent, It gets the balance about right 25 per cent and Don’t know 26 per cent;

UK Labour Party voters: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 18 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 27 per cent, It gets the balance about right 21 per cent and Don’t know 33 per cent;

UK Conservative Party voters: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 25 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 28 per cent, It gets the balance about right 22 per cent and Don’t know 25 per cent;

UK Liberal Democrat Party voters: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 19 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 23 per cent, It gets the balance about right 28 per cent and Don’t know 31 per cent;

Adults aged 18-24: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 19 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 14 per cent, It gets the balance about right 15 per cent and Don’t know 15 per cent;

Adults aged 25-49: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 24 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 20 per cent, It gets the balance about right 21 per cent and Don’t know 35 per cent;

Adults aged 50-64: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 17 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 27 per cent, It gets the balance about right 26 per cent and Don’t know 30 per cent;

Adults aged 65+: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 21 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 35 per cent, It gets the balance about right 19 per cent and Don’t know 25 per cent;

Adults by socio-economic status, ABC1: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 22 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 25 per cent, It gets the balance about right 22 per cent and Don’t know 31 per cent; and

Adults by socio-economic status, C2DE: It is too strict and needs to be loosened 19 per cent, It is too lenient and needs to be more restrictive 22 per cent, It gets the balance about right 20 per cent and Don’t know 37 per cent.

—

First-time buyers

THE Scots town of Falkirk has been identified as a possibly popular location for first-time buyers.

According to a report produced by the financial institution, Halifax, some 61 per cent of first-time buyers said they would be prepared to move to a different part of the country in order to get on the ‘housing ladder’.

Some 87 per cent of young people told the survey that owning a property was an ambition, with 33 per cent stating they wanted to get onto the ‘property ladder’ as soon as possible.

Among the other findings:

Almost half (44 per cent) of prospective first-time buyers looking to get on the ‘housing ladder’ are now researching locations they wouldn’t have considered prior to the cost-of-living crisis.

Over four in ten (41 per cent) said that the location of their first home was more important than the property itself.

52 per cent of first-time buyers identified the price of the house as their top priority, 38 per cent identified being close to family and friends as their second-top, 37 per cent identified crime levels as their third-top, 34 per cent identified ‘community feel’ as their fourth-top, 30 per cent identified transport connections as their fifth-top, 29 per cent identified a nearby supermarket as their sixth-top, 24 per cent identified nearby schools as their seventh-top, 23 per cent identified the prospect of better jobs as their eighth top, 21 per cent identified green spaces as their ninth-top and 20 per cent identified proximity to a major city as their tenth-top.

At £165,511, an average Falkirk ‘first-time buyer house’ is 12 per cent less expensive than the regional average.

Other towns offering a similar ‘discounted’ price include Kingston-upon-Hull, Neath Port Talbot, Ipswich and Blackburn.