Planning and the Assessment of Housing Need and Demand
The land use planning system in Britain is frequently seen as a key constraint on increasing housing supply and this is the topic for Chapter 9 in conjunction with an analysis of the development and use of household projections in determining housing requirements. Household projections had, and continue to have, very real impacts on how land supply and prices are determined and therefore on how many new homes are provided. The chapter discusses the development of the regulatory system starting from the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act and the role of the public sector in overcoming post-war shortages. The chapter then moves on to examine the development of concerns about the negative impacts of planning from the 1970s. The question arises whether this approach remains relevant in a market-led economy. The chapter also considers alternatives to the English land use planning model, notably the use of zoning systems in many countries with comparable pressures.