Densification Could Add 1 Million Homes In London

London could benefit from more than one million new homes over the next ten years if it underwent a programme of densification.

If this was rolled out in other areas across the country, it could be particularly good news for architects in Manchester and other major UK cities.

This is according to London First and estate agent Savills’s report named Redefining Diversity, showing house building could be expanded to take advantage of several areas of the capital with low housing density.

Susan Emmett, Savills’ director of residential research, said: “The opportunities to ensure that London is getting the most out of the development process are considerable, especially in the outer boroughs.”

The report highlights the importance of quality design features to make more efficient use of land.

It shows if housing density increased, the capital could see 52,000 new homes per year and meet its current targets for newbuild properties.

This comes as Prime Minister David Cameron stated new homes could be developed on publicly-owned land, instead of selling this off to developers.

The government is currently developing Northstowe in Cambridge to sell homes on the open market, with this model potentially being rolled out nationally to boost profits for the country.

Mr Cameron asked: “Is it not time to cut out the middleman?”

However, Planning Officers’ Society spokesman John Silvester pointed out that doing this requires reliance on an implementation agency. For instance, the government is using the Home and Communities Agency to plan and commission the new homes at the Northstowe site.