The UK’s housing debate is too focused on centrally assessed “need” rather than real consumer “demand,” according to Andrew Baddeley-Chappell, Policy Director at the National Custom and Self Build Association
In his recent LinkedIn article, “Need and Demand,” he argues that although demand for homes remains strong across the country, the current planning framework prevents the market from responding effectively. Suggesting the system continues to treat housing delivery as a centrally managed exercise rather than a competitive consumer market. This approach favours large developers and limits diversity in housing supply. As a result, fewer homes are delivered and buyers have less choice. Andrew Baddeley-Chappell contends that functioning markets respond to consumer demand, with competition improving quality and value, dynamics that are currently constrained by planning structures.
He points to examples from the Netherlands, where more flexible zoning and demand-led planning allow a wider variety of homes to be built. Adopting similar principles in the UK, he argues, could unlock supply, improve affordability, and better reflect what people actually want to live in.
