“… Riba [Royal Institute of British Architects] singled out two of the leading housebuilders as the worst offenders. From a sample of new three-bedroom homes surveyed, it found Barratt homes were on average 6.7sq metres smaller than minimum space standards and Persimmon homes were on average 10.8sq m too small – about the size of a double bedroom.
“Tiny rabbit-hutch new-builds should be a thing of the past,” said Riba president Jane Duncan. “But, sadly, our research shows that, for many people, a new home means living somewhere that’s been built well below the minimum space standard needed for a comfortable home. The government must take action to ensure a fairer minimum space standard is applied to all new homes across the country. …
… It highlighted Persimmon’s Staynor Hall development in Selby, North Yorkshire, where it found the “Hanbury” three-bedroom two-storey house has a floor area of 70.7sq m when the government standard says a three-bedroom house for a family of five should be at least 93sq m. …
… Riba has identified another squeeze on housing space: the conversion of office buildings to homes allowed as a result of a 2013 relaxation in planning laws. Last year, 20,000 such homes were built, but the lack of regulations means they can be among the smallest available.
“Across the country, two-person ‘apartments’ of less than 14sq m (the size of a typical bedroom) are being delivered,” Riba’s report states. “Under the national space standard, the minimum floor area for any new home is 37sq m – almost three times the size.” … .”
http://gu.com/p/4ey52
East Devon Watch 