Privately developed homes in and around London are not being designed or built to provide enough space for residents, according to new research by the Government’s design watchdog, the Commission for Architecture and the Build Environment (Cabe).

The survey found that 47% of residents of new-build housing in the capital and the South-east said they did not have space for the furniture they had or required. More than one-third (35%) said their kitchens were not big enough for the appliances they needed, and 37% said they and their children did not have enough space to entertain guests privately.

One-third of residents said their kitchens had inadequate space for their appliances while over half of did not have enough storage space. Over half of respondents (57%) said they did not have enough storage space, and more than seven in ten (72%) said they did not have enough space for three bins in order to recycle properly.

The results were drawn from a survey of 2,500 residents of homes completed between 2003 and 2006, including flats, bungalows and houses. All of the homes were either in London or within an hour’s drive of the capital.

Richard Simmons, CABE’s chief executive, said: “This research brings into question the argument that the market will meet the demands of people living in private housing developments. We need local planning authorities to ensure much higher space standards before giving developments the go-ahead.”

David Bexon, managing director of SmartNewHomes, added: “House-builders are bound by an ever growing list of requirements, from living space standards to eco credentials, all of which they are expected to deliver at no additional cost for the consumer. At a time when affordability is key and new home starts have fallen considerably, we need to focus on securing the delivery of future homes, not additional guidelines which could result in further costs or delays for the house-building sector.

“Pent-up demand resulting from the credit crunch means that the need for new homes is now greater than ever. However, if developers are expected to build this large number of new homes with significantly increased living space, then more land needs to become available, otherwise the build cost, and ultimately sale prices, will rise substantially.”