In a bid to protect the countryside, planning permission is being granted for apartments rather than detached houses.
This is leading to a high demand for detached houses and an over supply of apartments. As a consequence of this prices for detached homes are on the increase.
Our view
Whilst we recognise the basic need to protect our countryside, many local authortities are guilty of causing this lack of supply.
Why is it that hundreds and thousands of barns, outhouses, stables, derelict commercial land and factory units remain dormant?
The arguments on 'feasibility studies' when stables will have more traffic travel up a lane than a large home conversion would have only a couple of cars are clear.
Local authoritites generally are slow, with poor management control and no real requirement to deliver and then the staff get a great pension for non-delivery!
Government needs to give a clear message to authorities on what the expected standards are for granting planning permission.