Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.

Survey: Nearly Half of UK Adults Back Local Housebuilding, Infrastructure Concerns Remain

More than 40% of UK adults support the construction of new homes within three miles of where they live, according to survey data from Barclays Property Insights. However, concerns about infrastructure, green space, and local services remain significant barriers to wider support.

Support for local housebuilding is strongest among younger adults, with 51% of Generation Z and 48% of millennials in favour. Among Gen X, 42% support new homes locally, while 37% of baby boomers share this view. Opposition to new housing estates rises with age, from 16% among Gen Z to 26% among baby boomers, but support outweighs opposition across all age groups.

The survey found that more than a quarter of respondents would be more supportive of housebuilding if there was additional GP and healthcare capacity. The main concerns cited were loss of green space (61%), pressure on local services (57%), and insufficient infrastructure (52%). Only 7% of adults said they oppose development due to concerns about a potential reduction in their own home's value.

Barclays mortgage data also indicates a preference for houses over flats among buyers. In July, almost 82% of first-time buyers and 88.6% of non-first-time buyers purchased houses rather than flats.

More than 30% of UK adults want the government to prioritise building social or affordable housing. This aligns with the announcement that over 70,000 social and affordable homes will be built in England over the next decade, funded by an initial allocation of almost £10bn. Funding will be distributed to Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North East England, and Liverpool, with an additional £6bn previously announced for London.

These findings highlight the importance of infrastructure and service investment alongside new housing developments, a key consideration for letting agents and inventory clerks monitoring local market changes and tenant demand.