Flats are the homes of the future

The number of flats being built in England has overtaken the number of detached houses being built for the first time ever.

As a result of the government's planning directive to increase housing densities, the proportion of detached houses built by private house builders has slumped from 45% in 1999 to 32% in 2002. The proportion of flats has almost doubled from 17% to 32% over the same period.

Newly-released figures for the first quarter of 2003 reveal an acceleration of this trend with flats making up 37% of completions with detached houses further declining to just 27%.

This is the first time on record that more flats are being built than detached homes. Coupled with the government target to ensure 60% of all new homes are built on brownfield sites - achieved last year six years ahead of schedule - these results demonstrate the speed of the drive for urban regeneration and high-density living.

Pierre Williams, spokesman for the House Builders Federation, said: "These figures reveal an unprecedented change to the way we will live in the future.

"Current planning policy is ensuring the drive for compact cities continues unabated and house builders have responded positively and effectively to the new doctrine.

"Indeed from a simplistic commercial viewpoint, high-density development suits house builders as land is invariably the most expensive component of any new development," he said.