Is The North Set For Housing Construction Boom?

The need for new homes of all kinds is something that applies across the UK, but there has been a fresh pledge to get building from England’s metro mayors.

As Construction News reports, the freshly elected mayors around the country have all been pledging major building work, from housing to transport projects. It will now be seen whether they can deliver on these promises.

The construction materials sector will be watching progress keenly, as products like insulated roofing sheets will be in big demand if areas like the north of England can get more homes being built than has been the case of late.

While London mayor Sadiq Khan has promised 40,000 new council homes in the capital, the new Labour mayor for the West Midlands Richard Parker has pledged 20,000 new homes in the conurbation by 2031.

Further north, Andy Burnham has pledged another 10,000 dwellings for Greater Manchester, while transport is a big thing for both him and West Yorkshire’s Tracy Brabin. While Mr Burnham wants to expand the Metrolink tram system, Ms Brabin is keen on “spades in the ground” to start work on the long-promised light rail project in Leeds.

However, West Yorkshire will need its own supply of extra new housing, with the new tram lines likely to be attractive corridors for developers keen to build commuter homes near stops. A broader picture, however, will be the need to provide a variety of new properties for a growing population across the area.

Leeds saw its population grow by 8.8 per cent – above the national average – from 751,000 to 815,000 between the Censuses of 2011 and 2021. Neighbouring Selby and Wakefield combined with Leeds to make up the three areas of Yorkshire with the highest percentage population rise.

If this trend continues, the second most populated local authority in the UK and its surrounding areas will need a lot of new homes, making this a big challenge for those in authority from the government and metro mayors to local councils.