CPA Updates Report 'HOMES for EVERYONE'
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February 22nd, 2025
CPA Updates Our Report:
'Homes for Everyone' The report, with foreword by Chris Packham, argues that the countryside is at grave risk from a government hellbent on achieving its sky-high targets |
Our new report challenges the government’s proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), expected imminently, which would force councils to accept development on green spaces to meet nationally-set goals, and allow objections based on protecting nature to be overruled. It would also reclassify ‘grey belt’ land within the Green Belt. You can read the full report, and there is a link to email your own MP at homes.foreveryone.org
Drawing on analysis from leading planners, environmental scientists, and housing experts, we argue that the government’s plans, taken alongside its New Towns programme, will have profoundly damaging consequences for Britain’s countryside and its efforts to reach Net Zero, while doing little to lower prices or address the chronic shortage of social housing that has left 150,000 children currently living in temporary accommodation.
Building on green spaces would destroy vital natural defences against climate change, including carbon sinks such as trees, hedges, and soil, while directly threatening wildlife habitats. The government’s drive to sacrifice Britain’s green spaces in pursuit of its housebuilding targets would also increase pollution. Research also shows that building 300,000 homes a year, even with an energy efficiency drive, would use up the entirety of the UK’s carbon budget by 2050.
Instead, we argue that not a single green space needs to be lost to housing, pointing to the millions of homes available on brownfield land, in empty, derelict houses and commercial buildings, and in the nation's 26 million spare bedrooms.
Chris Packham, Wildlife TV Presenter & Campaigner, said: “We have a housing crisis, there’s no doubt about that, but we have a biodiversity crisis too and that situation is critical. The Green Belt is incredibly important, it was designed to stop urban sprawl and enhance the quality of people’s lives. We need to think more creatively about how we can design and build good quality, affordable housing with communities and nature in mind.”
Rosie Pearson, Co-Founder of the Community Planning Alliance, added: “This is a litmus test for the new Labour government which, despite being hellbent on hitting its sky-high, developer-led housing targets, must not sacrifice the environment. The vast majority of UK voters believe it’s important to protect nature and green spaces, which should be a last resort only for housebuilding. Our ‘Homes for Everyone’ report demonstrates that there are clear ways to meet housing needs without destroying the countryside or worsening climate change.”
New polling by More in Common commissioned for this report reveals overwhelming public support for green space protection.
CPA is proposing a six-point strategy for government and councils, including:
Drawing on analysis from leading planners, environmental scientists, and housing experts, we argue that the government’s plans, taken alongside its New Towns programme, will have profoundly damaging consequences for Britain’s countryside and its efforts to reach Net Zero, while doing little to lower prices or address the chronic shortage of social housing that has left 150,000 children currently living in temporary accommodation.
Building on green spaces would destroy vital natural defences against climate change, including carbon sinks such as trees, hedges, and soil, while directly threatening wildlife habitats. The government’s drive to sacrifice Britain’s green spaces in pursuit of its housebuilding targets would also increase pollution. Research also shows that building 300,000 homes a year, even with an energy efficiency drive, would use up the entirety of the UK’s carbon budget by 2050.
Instead, we argue that not a single green space needs to be lost to housing, pointing to the millions of homes available on brownfield land, in empty, derelict houses and commercial buildings, and in the nation's 26 million spare bedrooms.
Chris Packham, Wildlife TV Presenter & Campaigner, said: “We have a housing crisis, there’s no doubt about that, but we have a biodiversity crisis too and that situation is critical. The Green Belt is incredibly important, it was designed to stop urban sprawl and enhance the quality of people’s lives. We need to think more creatively about how we can design and build good quality, affordable housing with communities and nature in mind.”
Rosie Pearson, Co-Founder of the Community Planning Alliance, added: “This is a litmus test for the new Labour government which, despite being hellbent on hitting its sky-high, developer-led housing targets, must not sacrifice the environment. The vast majority of UK voters believe it’s important to protect nature and green spaces, which should be a last resort only for housebuilding. Our ‘Homes for Everyone’ report demonstrates that there are clear ways to meet housing needs without destroying the countryside or worsening climate change.”
New polling by More in Common commissioned for this report reveals overwhelming public support for green space protection.
- 78 per cent of people believe it is important for the government’s housebuilding strategy to protect nature and green spaces, only four per cent believe it is not important.
- Support is consistent among Labour (83%), Conservative (86%), Liberal Democrat (85%), Reform (83%) and Green Party (84%) voters.
- 69 per cent support a ‘brownfield-first’ policy, with just six per cent opposing.
CPA is proposing a six-point strategy for government and councils, including:
- Update brownfield land registers and prioritise suitable sites for housing. CPRE’s Reports suggest enough land exists for over 1.2 million homes, with additional potential for more than 100,000 homes above public car parks, according to Knight Frank
- Bring empty homes back into use. Over 1.5m unoccupied dwellings could be retrofitted or renovated to avoid needless carbon emissions associated with new construction
- Review unused commercial and public buildings and convert them into residential units. Currently 165,000 privately-owned commercial and business premises remain empty
- Better promote its £7,500 tax-free ‘Rent a Room Scheme’. Renting out just 1.74% of 26 million empty bedrooms could see rent prices return to 2017 levels
- Adopt density principles in local plans. It would be possible to save 42,000 hectares, an area the size of the Isle of Wight
- The government must focus on the one million homes that have been granted planning permission but remain unbuilt
Click here for our Homes for Everyone Report
700 Local Campaign Groups Fighting To Save Their Green Spaces!
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Throughout the UK, a rapidly growing number of grassroots campaign groups have taken up the fight to save their green spaces before it is too late. Each one has found themselves alone, fighting environmental battles, whilst facing the expertise and spending power of the Developers, their own Councils and, ultimately, the Government.
Founded in March 2021 to unite and assist grassroots campaigners, the Community Planning Alliance is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run group whose aim is to help level the planning playing field, enabling more communities to be more successful. Our very first action was to begin mapping the campaign groups, inviting them to self-list their details so that we could get an idea of the strength of feeling around the country. To date, around 700 groups have registered, and the map has been viewed more than 400,000 times, showing the alarming national situation very starkly.
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Seeing the incredible number of people prepared to stand up and fight, both for their communities and for nature, has only strengthened our resolve. Firstly, to assist the campaign groups in their campaigns against the Developers, and secondly, to lobby for change in the Planning System. Ultimately, we want to see planning done by communities, not to them. This is what we are working on now!
