GEOFF: EXPERTS IN BRITAIN ARE

WARNING THAT A GENERATION OF

YOUNG PEOPLE MAY NEVER BE ABLE

TO OWN THEIR OWN HOMES BECAUSE

OF A GRAVE HOUSING CRISIS.

BRITAIN HAS A SHORTFALL OF OVER

4 MILLION HOMES, THE WORST

RECORD IN EUROPE.

PRESSURE IS GROWING TO START

BUILDING IN ENGLAND'S ROLLING

COUNTRYSIDE WHERE, FOR DECADES,

CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN OUTLAWED.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT MALCOLM

BRABANT REPORTS, FROM EAST

CHILTINGTON IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND.

MALCOLM: THE BELLS SIGNAL THAT

THE TRANQUILITY IS UNDER THREAT

FROM BRITAIN'S HOUSING CRISIS.

THE RUSTIC LANDSCAPE INHERITED

BY THIS CONGREGATION MAY SOON BE

PAVED OVER TO ACCOMMODATE A

SMALL NEWTOWN.

KELLY PENFOLD, BORN AND RAISED

HERE, HAS JOINED THE LOCAL

RESISTANCE MOVEMENT.

>> PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE MORE

HOUSING BECAUSE I'D LIKE MORE

AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT NOT AT

THE EXPENSE OF CONCRETING OVER

ALL OF THIS.

I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A

COMPROMISE SOMEWHERE BECAUSE

ONCE THIS IS GONE, THAT'S IT.

WE CAN'T GET IT BACK.

WE CAN'T REPLACE IT.

WE CAN'T GET BACK ALL OF THESE

TREES.

YOU KNOW, PLANTING A NEW LITTLE

SAPLING ISN'T GOING TO REPLACE A

TWO OR 300 YEAR OLD OAK TREE.

MALCOLM: THE FARMLAND SLATED FOR

URBANISATION IS ON THE EDGE OF A

NATIONAL PARK, VISITED BY

MILLIONS EACH YEAR.

THE PROPOSED TOWN WILL COMPRISE

AT LEAST 3000 NEW HOMES.

>> THE IDEA AT THE MOMENT IS,

THAT WHERE WE'RE AT NOW HERE AND

WHERE THIS EXISTING TRACK IS,

THIS WOULD PROBABLY FORM THE

HIGH STREET AND THE SORT OF THE

CENTER POINT OF TTHE NEW

SETTLEMENT.

MALCOLM: DAMON TURNER'S

DEVELOPMENT COMPANY CLAIMS TO

CHAMPION THE CONSTRUCTION OF

ATTRACTIVE SELF-SUSTAINING

COMMUNITIES, WHERE PEOPLE'S

NEEDS ARE NO MORE THAN A FIFTEEN

MINUTE WALK AWAY.

>> THIS IS ROUGHLY WHERE WE'VE

IDENTIFIED THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

WOULD BE LOCATED.

BUT OVERALL, IT'S A SMALL MARKET

TOWN WITH FOOD AND FARMING AT

ITS HEART.

MALCOLM: DETAILED PLANS ARE NOT

YET AVAILABLE, BUT THIS SIMILAR

SIZED TOWN IS AN INSPIRATION FOR

THE DEVELOPERS.

IT IS POUNDBURY, 125 MILES TO

THE WEST AND THE PET

ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT OF KING

CHARLES, AN ADVOCATE OF

TRADITIONAL DESIGN.

THE LAND BEING FOUGHT OVER IS

OWNED BY EATON, ONE OF BRITAIN'S

MOST PRESTIGIOUS BOARDING

SCHOOLS, WITH ANNUAL FEES OF

$54,000.

ETON PRIDES ITSELF ON TEACHING

LEADERSHIP AND NUMBERS TWENTY

BRITISH PRIME MINISTERS AMONG

ITS ALUMNI.

>> ETON IS A BASTION OF THE

BRITISH ESTABLISHMENT.

ITS CRITICS BELIEVE THIS PLACE

PERPETUATES THE INEQUALITIES OF

THE BRITISH CLASS SYSTEM BECAUSE

THE CHILDREN OF THE ELITE COME

HERE AND ARE TAUGHT HOW TO

EXERCISE AND MAINTAIN POWER.

THE DEVELOPMENT IN THIS PARISH

SHOULD YIELD HUGE PROFITS,

INFURIATING CAMPAIGN LEADER MARC

MUNIER.

ETON DOESN'T PAY TAX BECAUSE

IT'S A NONPROFIT, OR CHARITY.

>> IF THEY WERE REALLY A

CHARITY, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO?

THEY THEY'D GIVE IT TO PEOPLE,

THEY'D GIVE IT AWAY.

THEY WOULD REWARDED IT FOR

SOCIETY.

OR EVEN IF THEY HAD TO BUILD ON

IT, GIVE IT TO PEOPLE.

HOW MANY HOMES COULD YOU JUST

GIVE AWAY?

AND IT WOULDN'T COST THEM A

PENNY BECAUSE THEY'RE A CHARITY

AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED

TO DO. BUT THEY WON'T DO THAT

BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT HELPING

HOUSES.

IT'S ABOUT MAKING MONEY FOR THE

PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY

INCREDIBLY PRIVILEGED AND

WEALTHY IN OUR SOCIETY.

MALCOLM: ETON SAYS ITS

CHARITABLE WORKS INCLUDE

SUBSIDISING PUPILS FROM POORER

BACKGROUNDS AND CREATING NEW

SCHOOLS IN DEPRIVED PARTS OF

BRITAIN.

ETON'S DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

IS JUSTIN NOLAN.

>> I THINK ALL RESPONSIBLE

CHARITIES THAT HAVE AMBITIONS TO

DO MORE WORK NEED TO FIND

SOURCES OF FUNDING FROM A

VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PLACES.

THAT TAKES MONEY THAT GOES

BEYOND THE FEES THAT WE CHARGE.

MALCOLM: THE DEVELOPERS HOPE

THIS VIDEO WILL HELP WIN THE

APPROVAL OF THE LOCAL PLANNING

AUTHORITY.

>> I DON'T THINK MYSELF OR ANY

OF MY FRIENDS OR CONTEMPORARIES

EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO BUY A

PROPERTY IN OUR LIFETIMES.

IT'S PRETTY IMPOSSIBLE TO BUY ON

A REGULAR WAGE.

MALCOLM: BESIDES BEING

EXPENSIVE, MUCH OF BRITAIN'S

HOUSING STOCK IS OLD AND TIRED.

MOST EXPERTS SAY THIS

OVERCROWDED ISLAND NEEDS TO

BUILD A MEDIUM SIZED CITY EVERY

YEAR FOR DECADES TO COME.

>> WE'VE GOT TO BUILD MORE

HOMES, NOT JUST TO ALLEVIATE

INEQUALITY AND TO ADDRESS SOCIAL

CHALLENGES, BUT ALSO TO GET THE

ECONOMY GOING AS WELL.

MALCOLM: PLANNING EXPERT ANTHONY

BREACH WARNS THAT AN ENTIRE

BRITISH GENERATION MAY BE DENIED

THEIR VERSION OF THE AMERICAN

DREAM OF A HOME WITH A PICKET

FENCE.

>> THAT ROUTE IS NOW REALLY

CLOSED OFF FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY

YOUNG MEMBER OF BRITISH SOCIETY.

SO THERE'S MILLIONS OF YOUNG

PEOPLE WHO ARE DENIED THE

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEIR

PARENTS AND WHO AREN'T ABLE TO

MOVE ONTO THE NEXT STAGE OF LIFE

AND ENJOY BETTER QUALITY HOUSING

AND CHEAPER HOUSING AS THEY GET

OLDER.

MALCOLM: THE HOUSING CRISIS IS

BECOMING BRITAIN'S MOST

IMPORTANT DOMESTIC ISSUE.

WITH AN ELECTION LESS THAN

EIGHTEEN MONTHS AWAY, PRIME

MINISTER RISHI SUNAK IS LOCKING

HORNS WITH OPPOSITION LEADER

KEIR STARMER.

>> SO NOW WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THE

HIGHEST NUMBER OF FIRST TIME

BUYERS IN 20 YEARS, MR. SPEAKER.

THAT IS TWICE THE NUMBER THAT

THE LABOR PARTY EVER MANAGED.

>> HE MUST BE THE ONLY PERSON IN

THE COUNTRY WHO THINKS THAT

ENOUGH HOUSES HAVE BEEN BUILT IN

THE LAST 13 YEARS.

AND WHETHER IT'S THOSE DREAMING

OF GETTING THE KEYS TO THEIR

FIRST HOME OR THOSE ALREADY WITH

MORTGAGES, THE AMBITIONS OF

FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE

BEEN CRUSHED BY HIS FAILING TORY

GOVERNMENT.

MALCOLM: IF ELECTED, LABOUR SAYS

IT WILL LIFT A LONGSTANDING BAN

ON CONSTRUCTION ON THE

GREENBELT, A RING OF COUNTRYSIDE

AROUND LONDON.

CENTRE FOR CITIES HAS IDENTIFIED

ENOUGH GREENBELT SITES CLOSE TO

RAILWAY STATIONS WHERE A MILLION

NEW HOMES COULD BE BUILT,

INCLUDING HILDENBOROUGH, THIRTY

MILES FROM THE CAPITAL.

>> WE THINK THAT'S A CRUCIAL

STARTING POINT WHERE THE

INFRASTRUCTURE IS LINED UP.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS ALREADY

CLEAR.

THE CLIMATE BENEFITS ARE REALLY

OBVIOUS.

BUT RELEASING LAND FROM THE

GREEN BELT IS KIND OF BREAKING

THAT BIG TABOO ON BUILDING THE

GREENBELT IS REALLY ESSENTIAL IF

WE WANT TO TACKLE THIS.

MALCOLM: KELLY PENFOLD RUNS HER

ONLINE CAKE BUSINESS FROM A TINY

RENTED APARTMENT. HOME OWNERSHIP

IS BEYOND HER MEANS.

>> IT'S VERY DIFFICULT IF YOU'RE

A YOUNG PERSON AND YOU'RE ON A

LOW INCOME TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD

TO LIVE WHERE POSSIBLY YOU GREW

UP.

MY ONLY CHANCE OF GETTING MY OWN

HOME WAS TO GO ON TO THE COUNCIL

SOCIAL HOUSING LIST, THAT TOOK

FIVE YEARS.

MALCOLM: KELLY PENFOLD'S DOG

WALK TAKES HER PAST A SMALL

SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT, SHE HAS

THIS QUESTION.

HOW MANY AFFORDABLE HOMES,

PROMISED BY THE DEVELOPERS, WILL

BE IN A SIMILAR CATEGORY?

>> WE WANT TO COME UP WITH A

MODEL THAT WORKS FOR LOCAL

PEOPLE HERE, PEOPLE WHO ARE

REALLY STRUGGLING TO GET ONTO

THE HOUSING LADDER OR EVEN TO BE

ABLE TO RENT BECAUSE OF THE 4

MILLION HOMES THAT WERE SHORT OF

IT IN THIS COUNTRY.

MALCOLM: THE FUTURE RESTS WITH

THE LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY

WHICH HAS TO DECIDE WHETHER THE

REGION'S HISTORIC MARKET TOWNS

WILL SHARE THE LANDSCAPE WITH A

NEW NEIGHBOUR.

>> WHAT WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO

IS MAKING SURE WE HAVE A STRONG

DESIGN CODE SO THAT THIS

COMMUNITY ACTUALLY DOES FIT INTO

THE LANDSCAPE.

IT'LL UNDOUBTEDLY BE A CHANGE TO

THE LANDSCAPE, BUT WE DON'T

THINK IT WILL BE AS DESTRUCTIVE

AS SOME PEOPLE FEAR.

MALCOLM: BUT FIRST, ETON MUST

OVERCOME THE POWERFUL SO-CALLED

NIMBY LOBBY.

NOT IN MY BACK YARD.

>> ARE YOU A NIMBY?

>> ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.

AND YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT

I'M A NIMBY, BECAUSE I'M THE ONE

THAT'S PROTECTING WHICH

GREENFIELDS FOR YOU AND YOUR

FAMILY.

ONCE THIS IS ALL BULLDOZED OVER,

IT'S GONE FOREVER.

AND WE DON'T WANT TO TURN INTO

L.A., AND JUST A SPRAWLING

METROPOLIS IN THE SOUTHEAST OF

ENGLAND.

MALCOLM: THIS IS A BATTLE FOR

THE SOUL OF NATIONAL TRADITIONS.

AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME HAS ALWAYS

BEEN HIS CASTLE, IN A GREEN AND