New homes are too small, says report (From Croydon Guardian)

New homes are too small, says report

3:55pm Tuesday 16th September 2008 in

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Rooms in many new-build Croydon homes are too small contributing to a range of social and educational problems.

That was the conclusion of a report presented to the Croydon Council’s cabinet meeting yesterday night which called for action to increase room sizes.

The scrutiny committee investigation revealed new-build room sizes in Croydon were smaller now than in the 1980s, and continuing to shrink, and called for new regulations to ensure residents get the space they need.

The report, which was led by Councillor Donald Speakman, found there was currently no national or regional regulations on room sizes, and developers were taking advantage.

“The building industry is free to build very small new homes without having to face the long-term social consequences of small and inadequate housing."

Councillor Donald Speakman

Coun Speakman said: “The building industry is free to build very small new homes without having to face the long-term social consequences of small and inadequate housing.

“Purchasers are paying more whilst room sizes are diminishing.”

The investigation looked particularly at the lower end of the home ownership market and two bedroom homes, the most common type of family home.

The group found bedrooms were small, with more than half the properties having one of two bedrooms smaller than the old National House Building Council’s (NHBC) recommendation of nine square metres.

The NHBC guidelines, which stipulated bedroom sizes, was introduced in the early 1980s.

Despite regulations for storage space and minimum bedroom sizes, residents were dissatisfied with the amount of floor-space and found the value of their properties significantly depreciated.

The guidelines were discontinued after a few years.

The report found insufficient room sizes for a growing family, with the average family in Croydon having 1.8 children.

The study found small eating areas, and the difficulty of keeping surfaces clean, meant families were discouraged from cooking meals and eating together.

It also found open plan areas, which are included in 80 per cent of new build homes, make it difficult to concentrate on all but the loudest activities, mainly television, which damages a child’s education.

The committee also looked at a study in Islington which found significant evidence that cramped housing led to antisocial behaviour in children.

All cabinet members agreed to back recommendations to introduce guidelines, though no detail on minimum sizes was recommended.

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