Gordon Brown's target for 3 million new homes between 2007 and 2013, equalling 230,000 pa has not been met over the past two years by in excess of 200,000, if we assume 4 people to each house where are these homeless 800,000 people hiding? Construction is the 2nd biggest GDP contributor and that is why GB was supporting it to try and keep his so called unparalleled and sustained period of stable growth myth going. If we continue to try to build are way out of a recession we are just squeezing the tooth paste tube since eventually there will be such an excess of housing stock that domestic construction will grind to a complete stop. We already have the highest housing density and the highest levels of home ownership of any European country by far.
It is time planners and councillors considered their actions in the wider context, this may mean that we need a different calibre of individual in these positions but so be it.
As for longevity, so many of the aging population live alone in isolation in properties far bigger than they need, why not come up with attractive and innovative solutions which encourage them to co-habit and support each other, releasing funds for them and housing stock for the rest of us.
Finally, social fragmentation, the erosion of the extended family and consumerism have led to immense under utilisation of capacity within the domestic housing market, with many more rooms in houses than are actually occupied. If we want to live longer, increase our population and consume more then something has to give. The earth has finite resources so if we want to take more with one hand we need to compromise on the other.