More homes near stations – but for who?

For many young people thinking about buying their first home, two things matter most: can they afford it, and can they get to work without spending hours commuting?

So, on the face of it, the Government’s new approach to development around railway stations sounds like a good idea.

The new National Planning Policy Framework puts stronger support behind building new homes around well-connected stations, introducing a “default yes” alongside minimum density requirements. The Government says the policy will help deliver thousands of homes, while allowing people to live closer to work, schools and public transport. Analysis by Lichfield’s shows where the qualifying stations are located and where the policy could have the greatest development potential.

If more homes are needed, building them in places where people can access jobs and services without relying on a car makes sense. But there is a question that cannot be answered simply by counting the number of homes built.

Who will be able to afford to live in them?

Living near a station is attractive. A shorter commute, less reliance on a car and easier access to jobs and services all have real value. Many places that benefit from good rail connections are already attractive commuter locations, and this is reflected in their house prices. Research by Nationwide found that homes within 500m of a station attracted an 8% price premium in London compared with similar homes 1,500m away. In Greater Manchester and Glasgow, the premiums were smaller but still evident.

Building more homes that are well-connected is important, but increasing supply alone does not guarantee that those homes will be attainable for young people. If a new development is made up largely of market homes in an already expensive commuter location, aspiring first-time buyers may still struggle to access them. We could end up with more homes, better-connected communities and shorter commutes, but still leave many of the next generation without a realistic route into home ownership.

For many young people, an attainable home means being able to save for a deposit while renting and then afford mortgage payments without them taking up an unsustainable proportion of their income. It does not necessarily mean owning a large home. For some, less space may be a worthwhile trade-off for a good commute, good local facilities and the ability to live independently.

If new development is meant to meet the needs of future homeowners and renters, those people need to have a voice in shaping what gets built. Young renters and aspiring first-time buyers can be less visible in planning applications and local consultations than existing homeowners who are directly affected by a proposed development. As a result, the people with the greatest need for new housing can be the least visible when decisions about it are made.

That does not mean existing communities should be ignored. Good planning needs genuine local engagement, but we should also be prepared to adapt how that engagement happens. Traditional consultation techniques such as public meetings, exhibitions and formal consultations have their place but don’t necessarily reach everyone. Using new platforms that can reach those usually unheard, social media and more accessible ways of engaging younger people will help bring those voices into the conversation too. This means that when we are planning places for the next generation, the voices of people who need new homes are heard alongside those who already own one.

For young people, a successful station-led development is not simply a block of flats within walking distance of a railway station. It’s an attractive place to live, well-connected to jobs and, crucially, homes that people can actually afford.

That should be the test of the Government’s new approach.

Success should not just be measured by how many homes are built near stations. It should be measured by who can afford to live in them, what kind of communities they create and whose voices helped shape them.

The new NPPF is right to recognise that housing and transport cannot be separated. More homes are welcome and good connectivity matters, but for young people trying to get on the housing ladder, what is really needed is more attainable housing – planned with them, not simply for them.