Around 83% of NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard) oppose development in local areas, according to The Saint Consulting Group’s newly released annual survey of the public’s attitude to property development in the UK.

Topping the hate list in The Saint UK Index is landfill at 81%, whereas the most desired development with 79% of the vote is schools. It also shows that 27% of the London region welcomes new developments, but only 8% of the south west support new complexes. In addition, one in six UK residents has actively opposed a planning application while only 7% of Brits have ever supported a development.

Nick Keable, managing director of Saint Consulting UK says: “Those engaged in development across all property sectors need to stop moaning about how councils refuse their applications. They need to understand public opinion and then react to it by changing the way they operate.”

The survey questioned 1,000 people throughout the UK in January and February 2007 in what the company describes as the only survey of its kind. It records attitudes to different types of development, provides a breakdown by country/region, shows people’s attitudes to the planning system and tackles public opinion on out-of-town retail, green belt development and zero carbon homes.