Nimbyism on the rise in blow to Rayner's building blitz
Nimbyism is on the rise across Britain, new figures suggest, in a blow to Angela Rayner's hopes of kickstarting ' the biggest building boom in a generation '.
The number of people identifying as Nimbys is estimated to have grown by almost a third since the Government stepped up its anti-Nimby rhetoric in late 2024, according to the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and Demos, a cross-party think tank.
Polling shows that 23pc of people now class themselves as Nimbys, up from the 17.5pc recorded in a survey by Labour Together in September last year.
The report warned that the rise in local resistance to developments risked hindering Ms Rayner's ambitions to build 1.5m homes by the end of this Parliament.
The Housing Secretary has repeatedly vowed not to tolerate Nimbyism, pledging to end their 'chokehold' on housebuilding.
Writing in The Telegraph in December, Ms Rayner, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, said Nimbys would 'no longer have the upper hand'.
Under proposed reforms, builders will be allowed to sidestep council planning committees, while campaigners will be blocked from making repeated legal challenges against major infrastructure projects.
Sir Keir Starmer has echoed promises to stop developments being held up, saying in January that he would override the 'whims of Nimbys' against major building projects and back the builders, rather than the 'blockers'.
However, researchers from RTPI and Demos said: 'Far from driving support, the Government's current combative tone could be dangerously backfiring.
'This poses a risk to the Government's ambitious housebuilding target and potentially their electoral strategy too if they face increasing local opposition.'
They added that only 12pc of people felt they had a say over the outcome of planning decisions, pointing to risks that the Government's 'enthusiasm to drive forward building could fuel further mistrust'.
The report shows that 67pc of the British public identify as Mimbys – 'Maybe in my backyard' – representing those who are open to new developments in their areas under the right circumstances. Just 10pc identify as Yimbys, or 'Yes in my backyard'.
Victoria Hills, chief executive of the RTPI, said that trust could be rebuilt between local communities and the Government if they were involved in the planning process at an earlier stage.
Ms Hills said: 'Through effective community engagement, the majority of people would accept housing near them.
'If our members, and the authorities they work with, are given the time, space and expertise to engage early enough in the process, then we would find that housing across the country is delivered with the support of the local communities, not despite them.'
Polly Curtis, chief executive of Demos, said: 'Cutting the public out of the conversation like they are red tape will lead to more legal challenges and friction down the line.
'Instead, early and representative public participation will properly engage the Mimby majority, giving that silent majority a voice and helping to unlock housebuilding.
'This is a risk-reducing and time-saving strategy, and one that will help build trust in Government.'
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