THE demand to buy new homes is outstripping supply. The trend has been revealed in the latest Housing Needs Survey, which gives an indication of the number of new homes required over the next five years.
The only sector to buck it is private rental, which has a potential surplus of 273 properties a year.
‘There is a particular demand for properties for outright purchase, a need for a small number of new homes for social rental and also a need to make more accommodation available in the intermediate market,’ said Housing minister Dave Jones.
All this could lead to pressure on Environment to relax its stance on building policies.
The survey shows a net requirement of 340 new homes each year. That is almost double the 179 identified in the 2001 survey.
Following that, the States agreed a strategic target of 300 new homes a year - catered for under the Rural and Urban Area plans.
It was intended to be flexible, adjusting to meet changing needs.
Housing has stopped short of asking the States to change the target when the report is debated this week.
But it wants the Strategic Land Planning Group to review it to see if that needs to happen.
The department also wants the group to set annual targets for each type of tenure.
In the report, Deputy Jones said that it was important to acknowledge that much is already being done through the Corporate Housing Programme and planning policy to meet the required housing mix.
‘In pure numerical terms, this shortfall could be addressed by building an additional 340 new dwellings per annum in the tenures,’ he added.
‘However, there is also a need to eliminate the mismatches in the supply and demand for properties across tenure, size and price of dwellings and to ensure that properties are built to meet the identified demand for one- and two-bedroomed accommodation.’
Housing believes that Environment’s planning policies should, where possible, encourage the development of one or two bed units.
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