Press Release: CPRE Hampshire questions projected housing numbers

CPRE Hampshire questions projected housing numbers

Following today's hard-hitting report on "The Economic Impact of Immigration" by the Select Committee on Economic Affairs of the House of Lords, the Hampshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England believes that some of the most important conclusions to be drawn from the report concern housing and infrastructure levels, particularly for the South East.

On 'Rising Population Density: Impacts on Housing and Wider Welfare Issues' the report says:

"Given the difficulties of meeting the demands for housing, the Government should assess the impact of immigration on housing provision."

On wider implications it says:

"For example, the English countryside is an environmental amenity of great value and a substantial rise in population, however caused, is likely to diminish it. Rising population density will also increase the demand for infrastructure including roads and airports, decrease the per capita living space available to residents and reduce the space available for public parks and green fields."

Hugh Sheppard, Vice-Chairman of CPRE Hampshire, comments:

"The Government has argued for three million more homes for England by 2026, mainly on the grounds that the economy needs a growing labour force so as to increase national prosperity. However the Select Committee accepted evidence that this represents very little increase in prosperity at an individual level."

The report notes that although about a third of the estimated household growth in England over the next 15-20 years is said to be due to net immigration, this impact "was not even mentioned in the Government's extensive written evidence to our enquiry."

In the report, the Select Committee welcomes immigration, but does not accept this is needed to defuse "the pensions time-bomb". A member of the committee, Lord Turner, went as far as to say that reliance on figures which assume an unchanged retirement age is "absurd".

Hugh Sheppard said:

"This supports the case made by CPRE at the Examination in Public into the South East Plan in 2007 that longer working lives will have a positive impact on labour force projections."

He continued:

"This shows that much of the rhetoric on the economic need for yet more homes, particularly in the South East, has been misplaced. Clearly, the projected housing numbers have been over-stated and it is high time that the Government accepted the figures of the draft South East Plan so that local authorities can get on with planning a sustainable future for us all".

- Ends -

CPRE/H/129

Notes to editors

The Campaign to Protect Rural England, Hampshire Branch (CPRE Hampshire) is a registered charity and a branch of the national CPRE charity.

CPRE Hampshire strives to promote the beauty, tranquility and diversity of the countryside of Hampshire by the sustainable use of land and other resources in town and country, and encouraging the biodiversity and well-being of rural communities.

For further comment, please contact:
Hugh Sheppard, Vice Chairman, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01256 701363

For membership information on CPRE, please contact:
Pam Mason, administrator, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01962 843655
Email:admin@cprehampshire.org.uk

For all media enquiries, please contact:
Keren Burney, media & communications officer, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01730 894123 Mobile: 07876 780065
Email: kburney000@aol.com