Poll raises doubts on Government’s housebuilding targets

Two thirds of the British public remain doubtful about the Government’s housebuilding pledges.

A major new poll commissioned by public policy institute Curia and conducted by Opinium shows that  revealed that only 17% of the public think Labour will meet its housebuilding goals, with similarly low confidence in other major parties.

The research also exposes a long-standing paradox in housing attitudes: while net national support for new homes sits at +37%, this falls dramatically to just +7% when people are asked about new homes in their own local area.

A spokesperson for Curia said:

“This isn’t just a delivery crisis – it’s a credibility crisis.

“The public supports the idea of more homes, but after decades of unmet promises and underpowered planning reform, they no longer trust anyone to actually deliver.”

The research found that 45% of the public prefer to restrict development to preserve local character (NIMBYs)

Another 37% favour more housing to tackle affordability and shortages (YIMBYs)

More than twice as many people think the planning system is performing badly than well.

Meanwhile, net support for local infrastructure development is far higher than for housing: +42% vs +7%.

The polling suggests that people are far more supportive of infrastructure investment – such as transport, schools, digital networks and environmental upgrades – than of housing alone. Almost half the public say they would support new homes if they were well-designed and delivered alongside infrastructure.

Curia’s Housing and Infrastructure Research Group, which commissioned the polling and co-designed the research with Opinium, is calling for policy to focus on place-based delivery, brownfield-first development, and early infrastructure investment to rebuild confidence in planning and development.

Andrew Stephenson, former Local Government Minister and Curia advisory board member, added:

“Lay the groundwork before you lay the bricks,” said “That’s the clear message from the public. They don’t want sweeping rhetoric about growth zones or deregulation – they want to see real infrastructure, better quality homes, and trust restored at a local level.”

Kindly shared by EstateAgentTODAY Image courtesy of Adobe