Figures signal higher household growth

Updated housing projections recently published by the Government show an increased annual rate of household growth in England  compared to figures published last year.

According to this latest assessment, the annual figure for projected growth from 2004 to 2026 has risen to 223,000 compared to the earlier figure of 209,000.

This revision has taken account of the most recent population statistics collected by the Office for National Statistics.

These latest figures indicate higher annual average household growth particularly in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber, moderate increase in the Midlands and an increase in London offset by lower growth in the East and South East.

Under these projections the number of households in England is projected to increase from 21.1m in 2004 to reach 26m in 2026 and top 26.5m by the end of that decade. One-person households account for much of the growth.

Housing charity Shelter said the new figures underlined the need for greater provision of affordable housing while the Home Builders Federation argued that the figures made the case for a further increase in housing supply.

In a related development the Environment Agency has calculated that the cost of providing environmental services to new housing in south east England now runs at an average of £20,000 per dwelling.

That is the disaggregated figure of the overall cost of ensuring that water quality, water provisions, waste management and flood protection is both adequate and sustainable across the region.

The infrastructure needs of the Government's sustainable communities strategy have proved a major issue for the relevant regional spatial plans.  

Communities and Local Government statistical release
New projections of households for England and the regions to 2029

Roger Milne

23 March 2007