British people are five times more likely to oppose new housing schemes than their counterparts in the US, according to a survey.

The survey, which compares public attitudes towards development in the two countries and Canada, shows that 30% of the British public are opposed to new private housing in their neighbourhoods.

In comparison, the equivalent figures in the US and Canada are 6% and 11% respectively.

Nick Keable, UK director of Saint Consulting Group, which carried out the survey, said the findings helped to explain why housing completion rates were lower per head in the UK than in North America.

He said: “This shows that the British people are more nimby than North Americans.”

The survey also indicated that Britons are less likely to think their council is in bed with a developer. Fifty-eight per cent of UK respondents believe that cosy relationships between developers and councils lead to unfair decisions, as opposed to 75% of Americans.

And 70% of Britons said that candidates’ position on development was an important factor in swaying their vote, less than in either Canada or the US. The findings were based on a survey of 2,000 people in each country.

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