Size of New Dwellings
6.24 Until 1992 the proportion of smaller dwellings being built declined gradually. In more recent years there has been a slight reversal of this trend. In 1991/92, 54% of new dwellings built had one or two bedrooms; by 1998/99, this had fallen to 27%. More recently in 2004/05 the trend shows that smaller dwellings account for 40% of the total new build. Significantly, the number of two bedrooms houses being built has increased from 21% in 1998 to approximately 37% in 2005 (DCLG 2006).
6.25 These changes in housing type are partly due to the relative fall in the proportion of social housing being built. While past trends for decreasing levels in “entry level” housing have begun to stabilise, over the longer term it is probable that first time buyers (and others who require that sector of the market) may find it difficult to find suitable local accommodation. The adequacy of the choice of housing stock is further reduced by the characteristics of much of the existing dwellings, with those dwellings with a higher number of bedrooms being less affordable. (For more information on affordable housing go to section 6.29 ). The table on dwelling characteristics (see section ) highlights the high proportion of detached dwellings that exist in the South West compared to the England average.