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Too many homes, not enough jobs

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"Delivery of jobs and homes to date has not achieved this balance"
Andrew Longley
Published Date:
08 March 2010
News reporter
A major report into new housing in the county claims job creation is lagging seriously behind the number of new homes being built.
The north of the county needs to create 47,400 new jobs before 2021 to support people moving into 52,1000 new homes.

But, since 2001, only half the number of jobs needed per home have been created.

In a report to Northamptonshire County Council, planning manager of the county's joint planning unit, Andrew Longley. says that while the aim is to create 0.91 jobs for every home built, the ratio between 2001 and 2007 was just 0.62.

In that time, 10,611 homes have been built and 6,605 jobs delivered.

His report states: "There is clearly an issue with this objective.

"In order to maintain the current balance of workers and jobs within North Northamptonshire, to not become dependent on commuting, the core spatial strategy seeks some 47,400 jobs compared to 52,100 homes - a ratio of 0.91 jobs for every dwelling built.

"Delivery of jobs and homes to date has not achieved this balance.

"This is a critical issue for the review of the North Northamptonshire core spatial strategy as it is fundamental to increasing the self reliance of North Northamptonshire and decreasing the need to travel."

But the North Northants Development Company says it is closing the gap and that there is always a natural lag between homes and jobs.

Nick Bolton, NNDC's director of investment and marketing, said while
they haven't yet had the official data on more recent years, their own figures indicate the ratio is now about 0.7 or 0.8 jobs per home.

Up to March last year, around 14,100 homes were built and around 11,500 jobs were created in the north of the county.

It comes after NNDC were criticised by the county council and residents for its marketing campaign aimed at attracting Londoners to the area, which had the tagline North Londonshire.

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  • Last Updated: 08 March 2010 8:24 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Kettering
 
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NicB,

08/03/2010 09:15:55
>"In order to maintain the current balance of workers and jobs within North Northamptonshire, to not become dependent on commuting..."

It can't "become dependent on commuting" either until the train companies are forced to increase the frequency, capacity and speed of their services in the area.

It's a good point about jobs though. I've been complaining about the development on the grounds that the infrastructure is not being upgraded enough to cope with the new people, but lack of jobs is a massive problem too. We need improved transport (many changes and road improvements, although few new roads, and more than double the rail capacity), power supplies and sewarage are at capacity in my area, there are shortages of educational facilities, and the medical services are struggling.

With a lack of jobs on offer too, it's about time the development was reigned in until there is a coherent and sensible plan for it, taking ALL of the economic and infrastructure provisions into account.
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thegoodoldboysfromsaga,

08/03/2010 09:26:00
You dont need a fancy report to tell you that there is not enough jobs to houses ratio, anyone with a bit of common sense could tell you that.

Also no good in creating hundreds of Warehouse Jobs paying just above the minimum wage and then only building £300,000 houses.
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DT,

Ketterin 08/03/2010 11:57:23
Hooray - some common sense being spoken at last.
I would also like to know, what are these jobs have already been 'created', how do you 'create' jobs (that aren't government makework), and how are they going to 'create' so many jobs during this deep economic turmoil?

To me the answer is simple - forget building the houses and let market forces take hold. *If* work comes (and we need to encourage that whether we build houses or not because there are many people here now who need work), then we can think about building houses. To build houses and fill them with people with no work, or worse, have them standing empty because there is no work, would be a tragedy for the area.

NNDC - there is no harm in saying that this plan is no longer practicable - it was developed during a period of economic boom and projected growth - sensible people can back down or put things on hold, or change them. It doesn't need to be seen as a failure. I think there needs to be a review that asks - do we want this, and do we need it?
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LiveinWeldon,

Weldon 08/03/2010 12:39:27
At last, someone with a voice says the same as the rest of us. However, are they in a position where anyone will listen or take any notice? Will the planning applicatons just get pushed through anyway?
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AndAnd,

08/03/2010 14:49:58
If the number of houses exceeds demand then we might get a much needed reduction in house prices which means people can actualy afford them.
So as far as I'm concerned, keep building!
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DT,

Kettering 08/03/2010 14:55:06
The house prices will not go down whatever - new houses will not be sold at a loss, and there are more and more people coming to the area naturally, without having to promote it. IMV that is why house prices have actually increased during a recesssion!
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DT,

Kettering 08/03/2010 15:28:06
Regarding the subject of this report, i.e. that jobs are lagging housebuilding, this was the subject of a review by the Sustainable Communities Commission, *three years ago* when they found the same thing. Nothing has changed in three years and mistakes?


Rush to Meet Housing Targets Has Come at the Expense of Residents and the Environment
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/presslist.php?id=65
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Ozzy KT,

08/03/2010 16:25:25
Lack of jobs, lack of transport infrastructure, lack of hospital capacity, lack of leisure facilities. Result? Lack of common sense in rush to meet flawed government target. Why aren't people like Jim Hakewill on the NNDC representing the interests of Kettering residents?
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Northants BNP,

Wellingborough 08/03/2010 16:36:50
Well done Andrew Langley. Like the boy in the fairy tale the Emperors new clothes, he has sttaed the bleedin' obvious, but will anyone take any notice?

Stop the building now.
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Mark Winspear,

Kettering 09/03/2010 07:08:35
I don't know when the "target" changed from 0.8 to 0.91 of a job per new household. could it be simply that the number of new houses planned has been reduced by economic circumstances? Whichever figure, it is abysmal - and a disgrace!
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