‘War on golfers’ could solve housing crisis as homelessness skyrockets

A war on golf could allegedly solve London’s housing crisis A ‘war on golfers’ could help solve the housing crisis as homelessness skyrockets, an expert has revealed. Campaigners are calling for the capital to turn the table on golfers and golf courses as the nation struggles with a shortage of housing. In recent years the demand for housing has risen sharply but the supply of houses has not kept up with demand. As a result, there is a growing demand to rethink how the country uses its green spaces, specifically its golf courses. Express.co.uk has spoken to Senior Associate at Lawrence Stephens Sarah Gallagher about the housing crisis. READ MORE Asking house prices plummet to lowest level since 2018 Golf courses could make way for houses in the future She said: ‘During the ongoing housing crisis, it seems disproportionate for so few to benefit from these green spaces whilst many struggle to get on the property ladder. ‘In addition to this, cases of homelessness in London rose by over 50 percent in the last 10 years. ‘Many councils have already pledged a scheme of huge development within the next few years, such as Bromley, a borough with circa 18 golf courses, which has committed to the construction of over 10,000 new homes between 2015 and 2030 – commitments which seem at best extremely ambitious.’ Ms Gallagher said by using land currently taken up by golf courses, new homes could benefit from large swathes of greenery. The demand for housing in London is high She said: “The vast amount of land afforded to golf courses if redirected towards housing, would allow developers to construct new homes which would benefit from plenty of urban green space whilst remaining within an easy commute of the city.’ Ms Gallagher isn’t the only person to call for golf courses to be repurposed. Writing in the Evening Standard, Simon Hunt said London should reclaim all land used for golf. He said: ‘It is time to declare war on golfers. According to Ordnance Survey data, some 11,000 acres of land in Greater London is given over to golfing, across 131 clubs. ‘That’s more than double the size of the borough of Hackney — population 260,000. Space to build homes for more than half a million Londoners has been handed to a few thousand men who prance about with metal sticks.’ SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info