Housing demand
Recent government forecast confirm that over the next ten years the United Kingdom population will rise to 67 million, an increase of 12%. An ageing population, demand for single households and integration with our European neighbours all contribute to this increase.
Land resources
Land in the UK is a finite resource. In the last two decades there has been an increasing awareness for conservation measures. Much of our land is not available for developments. Green belt, national parks, flood plains, areas of special scientific interest etc. all provide constraints on land available for housing development.
Consequences
To cope with the increase in demand of the land available for development has led to the decision makers insisting on maximising the use of existing available land including increasing housing density i.e. the number of houses per acre. This density increase has itself produced problems for the planning professionals where many applications to build new homes or extend existing properties are rejected on the grounds of being unneighbourly. Increases in footprint, height, messing and/or bulk are all issues likely to prevent an application for new housing to be successful.
A solution
All these restrictions emphasize the important role of the basement in building today’s homes.
It provides:
- The foundation on which the house is built
- Significant additional living space (e.g. up to 50%)
- Flexible living – bedrooms to bathrooms, kids play rooms to office/study, or even as a garage for the car
- Adaptable accommodation to meet the changing needs of the family over the generations
A basement therefore meets the governments needs to make the best use of available land whilst overcoming the planners concerns about unneighbourly development.
