- In the past 30 years, the number of bungalows built each year has dropped
- There was once almost 30,000 built annually but last year there was just 2,210
- In London, fewer than 1% of all homes on sale are listed as bungalows
The death of the bungalow could be less than a decade away, new figures reveal.
Despite an ageing population, around one in 70 homes being built is a bungalow compared with one in seven in the 1980s.
At the current rate of decline, the last bungalow could be built within nine years, according to analysis of data from the National House Building Council.
The death of the bungalow could be less than a decade away, new figures reveal
Charities said it was ‘crazy’ that so few were being built at a time when Britain’s pensioner population was booming and called for urgent Government intervention.
It is more profitable for housebuilders to construct blocks of flats for the elderly on a single plot of land, rather than single-storey properties with gardens.
In the past 30 years, the number of bungalows built each year has dropped from almost 30,000 annually to just 2,210 last year.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: ‘With our ageing population it seems crazy that we are building fewer bungalows compared with earlier years.’
With our ageing population it seems crazy that we are building fewer bungalows compared with earlier years
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK
Steve White, interim chief executive of the Papworth Trust, a charity supporting disabled and older people, said: ‘If this carries on, there is a very real possibility that we could be seeing the end of the bungalow. We would call on the Government to urgently look at this issue.’
In three-quarters of Britain’s major towns and cities, bungalows now account for less than 10 per cent of all houses on the market, according to estate agent HouseSimple.
In Greater London, fewer than 1 per cent of all homes on sale are listed as bungalows, with just 129 for sale across the entire city. In Aberdeen there are only four on the market.
Alex Gosling, HouseSimple chief executive Alex Gosling said: ‘The lack of suitable properties for the older generation could force people into care houses earlier, or result in longer hospital stays, putting more strain on NHS services.’