Skip to main content

Battery hen Britain: UK homes are now the most cramped in Europe



Homes in Britain are becoming the smallest in Europe with new one-bed flats now typically no bigger than a Tube carriage.

Faced with rising land costs, developers are cramming a lounge, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom into as little as 495 square feet.

The result is ‘cramped, dark and artificially lit’ environments that put health and wellbeing at risk, the Royal Institute of Architects said.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO




Stark: Britons are living in the smallest homes in Western Europe and it is making us ill and unhappy, a report said today






How we live: RIBA say the average UK one-bed flat (left), equates to living in a London Tube carriage (right)


It warned the lack of space and light could cause marital problems and even stop children from reaching their full potential at school.


More...
The £250MILLION home: London house set to become UK's most expensive property ever sold as it is put up for sale
Bring back bungalows! Snobs hate them. No one builds them any more. Yet one in three still thinks they're the best homes of all
Get fee-free mortgage advice and compare the best rates
On the hunt for a home? The first-time buyer's guide to getting a mortgage and climbing onto the property ladder

The average new UK home has shrunk to 818 square feet, 10 per cent smaller than 30 years ago, making our properties the tiniest in Western Europe.


Campaign: Kevin McCloud, presenter of Channel 4 show Grand Designs, is leading a campaign to ensure people live in bigger, lighter homes, and took to a Tube train to make his point

Riba’s Case for Space report says homebuyers are increasingly concerned that new homes are not big enough for their needs.


‘Research suggests consumers are right to be worried,’ the report says.

‘A lack of space has been shown to impact on the basic lifestyle needs that many people take for granted, such as having enough space to store possessions or even to entertain friends.

‘In more extreme cases, lack of adequate space for a household has also been shown to have significant impacts on health, educational attainment and family relationships.’

Research shows a lack of natural light – often due to small windows – can lead to a diminished immune system, diabetes and premature ageing.


Natural light can decrease the risk of insomnia, depression and obesity, while over-exposure to the artificial variety can disrupt sleeping patterns.

The abolition of the minimum space standards through the 1980 Local Government, Planning and Land Act is to blame, Riba says.

Properties in Ireland are 15 per cent bigger, in the Netherlands they are 53 per cent bigger and those in Denmark – at 1,475 square feet – are a staggering 80 per cent more expansive.


For those living in a home between two and ten years old a lack of space is the main reason for wanting to move out.

Riba has launched a campaign called HomeWise, headed by Kevin McCloud of Channel 4’s Grand Designs, to call for minimum size and light standards for all homes.




New build homes same size as TUBE CARRIAGE




Message: RIBA's report spells out what it believes can happen to those living in less light than they should





Research: Space at home is shrinking, according to the research, and many are living in the same area as a Tube train






Posters: RIBA are hoping their posters will go viral and encourage people to join their campaign


‘This isn’t rocket science. We all instinctively respond to the opportunity for a view, a connection with the outdoors, fresh air, light and space,’ Mr McCloud said.

‘A return to minimum space standards is crucial for the health and wellbeing of the people who will be living in new build homes.’

The presenter blamed the Town and Country Planning Act for the shrinking size of homes.

‘It effectively rationed the distribution of land for development by producing the green belt,’ he added.

‘That meant land started to be traded as a commodity and increased in value.’

A Jubilee Line train carriage covers 495 square feet, Riba said.



Happy? A couple pleased to be in their flat (file picture), but experts say that Britons now expect to get less space for their money, and say that should change


Low level living: The popularity of the bungalow, like this show house in Maidstone in Kent, soared in the 1930s and 40s but just 300-a-year are now built

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o