This is a cross-post by Amy Dron
As further objections are raised to tiny office-to-resi units, what can housebuilding during the Industrial Revolution teach us today?
As the relaxing of planning regulations results in another story of inadequately sized ‘rabbit hutch’ homes in the papers, it is worth considering the roots of modern planning laws. It’s hard to argue with the government’s position that deregulating and allowing office-to-resi conversions below the national minimum space standard of 37 sq metres for a single person will help meet housebuilding targets. At the same time, though, it could be compared with sharing a small cake among a large group of children and telling them they should be satisfied. It may deliver a temporary gratification, but it won’t sate their hunger and it certainly won’t sustain them for long or allow them to grow.
What can history teach us? During the Industrial Revolution, rapid urban expansion resulted in accommodation being built quickly, cheaply, and with little forethought. Our modern planning system has its roots in steps taken to address these issues and improve the lives of the working classes. Aside from issues of sanitation and the spread of diseases which issues of overcrowding brought, today under infinitely better control, there was also an awareness of the need of humans for space and open spaces. This led to the creation of public parks to reduce social stress.
Our modern times may differ in many ways, not least in terms of the quality of life now enjoyed by ordinary people. We now have what must then have been inconceivably large global and domestic populations, along with the resulting competition for space and higher land values. But the basic human need for space, psychologically and physically, has not changed. The government’s “permitted development” system means that developers who convert offices into homes are under no obligation to meet minimum floor area standards.
‘Shoebox’ housing may suit some younger people who are starting out in life, but confined living can cause mental health issues and increase stress, especially as people get older. It is also a natural progression for singles to become couples, couples to become families. There are already thousands of ‘second stepper’ homeowners who now have families and have outgrown their first home but are unable to move up the ladder. This also causes a bottleneck for first-time buyers, meaning more starter homes are required and the issues of moving up the property ladder are exacerbated.
Do read the rest of Amy’s post here
