The UK Government’s plan to build more and more houses is, on the surface, a difficult but achievable aim, but the associates infrastructure needed to live in these new homes has been overlooked for far too long. Without a solution, this will only lead to frustration and anger among future homeowners. Building houses is relatively easy compared to obtaining investment for the essential infrastructure such as water, sewerage, public transport, and broadband.
A housing boom without the basics
New developments are already exposing the weaknesses in existing infrastructure. In many areas, the water pressure drops when additional homes are connected to the existing supply network. This can lead to issues with appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, which have to be repaired at the homeowner’s expense. Climate change adds to the problem. Sewerage infrastructure is already struggling to cope with the increased rainfall and, without upgrades, adding more houses to the existing weak infrastructure will only exacerbate this situation and could lead to more localised flooding – not a welcome prospect for new homeowners.
The digital divide: rural areas left behind
Rural areas face not only the issues outlined above, but also additional hurdles that could easily shatter the appeal of moving to a rural environment. In rural areas, broadband services are severely lacking, with speeds similar to those of a dial-up modem. In today’s world, where internet access is considered a basic utility and necessary for services such as banking, online shopping, working from home, etc., a lack of reasonable internet access deprives people of many fundamental necessities and severely limits their ability to participate in society. Broadband expansion programmes for rural areas are frequently delayed or scrapped altogether. Without adequate connectivity, new developments may struggle to attract buyers.
Public transport: the missing link in housing plans
The cost of public transport, especially rail travel, needs to come down, its reliability needs to improve significantly, and access to travel services needs to be made easier. Cost, access, and delays discourage people from using public transport, putting further pressure on already congested roads.
In rural areas, public transport is practically disappearing. Many services barely deliver the profit that bus companies deem appropriate, and therefore require subsidies. Outside the cities, public transport is fast becoming a joke, and without it, people are reliant on private cars, despite all good intentions to reduce emissions.
Roads at breaking point: a looming traffic crisis
Improving and expanding roads is even more important if houses are to be built in the numbers proposed. The current planning system requires developers to produce a traffic impact assessment, but these typically cover only the immediate locale or junction and do not consider the wider consequences. If more and more traffic is directed onto already busy roads, bottlenecks are guaranteed to occur, resulting in an increase in accidents. With multiple separate developments along major road corridors, the lack of an overarching impact assessment gives rise to more congestion and delays, especially if an accident occurs where the only alternative routes are along narrow country lanes. Local and national governments need to take cumulative traffic volumes into account when granting planning permission. If the earners in the household cannot reliably travel to work, the attractiveness of new housing plummets.
As part of its plan, central government needs to ensure that this financial shortfall is addressed. This could be achieved through an increase in local government funding, specifically for local infrastructure projects, or through legislation and changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Government should also ensure that private utility companies undertake the necessary improvements and investment as part of any housing development.
Funding the future: who pays for infrastructure?
Infrastructure investment is in short supply. Privatised and private utility companies prioritise investor returns over public needs. Local government is already strapped for cash, and hasn’t the funds to make up the difference.
The government must step up, whether it’s through increased funding, changes to the NPPF, or by bringing in stricter requirements for developers and utility suppliers. Without this, new housing will not offer a sustainable way of living.
Ed: This is a companion piece to an earlier article, discussing the challenges the government faces in meeting its new house building targets.
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