NEWS RELEASE

UK SLEEPWALKING TO A POPULATION NIGHTMARE

The UK will become an environmental disaster area if no action is taken to curb the unprecedented growth revealed in new official population projections, the Optimum Population Trust said today (Tuesday October 23).

The new projections, which show the UK population rising to 65 million over the next 10 years, 70 million in 2028, 77 million by 2051 and over 85 million by 2081, are significantly higher than the previous projections, published in 2005. In 2071, for example, the last year covered in the 2005 projections, the UK is now projected to have nearly 12 million more people than previously forecast.

“There is no parallel in our history for population growth of this magnitude,” said Rosamund McDougall, of the OPT’s advisory council. “It will blow a massive hole in any national climate change strategy, impose huge strains on our infrastructure and environment, seriously damage quality of life and make Britain one of the most crowded and stressful places in the world. It may well pose questions about energy, food and resources that we cannot answer.

“The UK is sleepwalking into a population and environment nightmare. At projected household formation rates, for example, a population of 85 million would require over 40 million homes - 15 million more than the 25-million-plus we have now. Given that there are something over 3 million houses and flats in London, that means we will be faced in housing terms with building nearly five more Londons to cope with the increase. The growth in population alone compared with today’s 61 million is equivalent to more than three new Londons.

“The Government has already presided over the fastest growth in UK population since the baby-boom years of the mid-twentieth century. If it continues to countenance population increases on this scale, it will be embarking on a vast unplanned experiment with Britain’s well-being. We desperately need to start thinking about a national population policy, spelling out how many people the UK can support environmentally and what we can do to achieve it.”