A Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) study has shown that large-scale strategic housing sites, such as Canford Park, can have a positive effect on affordability in the region and can play an important part in solving the housing crisis.
The RTPI study looked at six large housing developments in the South West of England and found that house prices would be lower in those areas where the case studies are located by between 1% and 8% in 2021 and by between 2% and 15% in 2031.
Crucially, the case studies showed that strategic developments could also increase the stock of local affordable social housing by up to 50%, which is a pressing matter in Borough of Poole.
Richard Blyth, the RTPI’s Head of Policy, says that the UK “cannot afford not to think big”. Mr Blyth commented that “The experience of the last 20 years shows that piecemeal incremental developments alone will not meet the level of demand for new homes. We must therefore ensure there is proper, long term planning and delivery for housing on a large scale.
“Central and local government must put proactive planning at the centre if they are serious about making a success of developing new garden villages and housing at scale."
ENDS