'Rabbit-hutch' Britain: UK's new homes are 'smallest in Europe'

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In Denmark, newly-built homes have almost twice as much floor space as those built here in the UK.

The main reason for the UK's cramped living conditions is the lack of building regulations regarding living space, according to experts.

'The cause is simple and shocking,' said award-winning architecture critic Ellis Woodman.

Newly-built flats in Liverpool. Britons have to put up with the least floor space in Europe

'England and Wales are the only parts of Europe where house-building is unregulated by legally binding minimum space standards.'

'That oversight is all too indicative of the failure of successive British governments to ensure that we are well housed.'

Boris Johnson has pledged to end the building of rabbit-hutch homes in London

Woodman is the curator of the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale which opens today.

It will examine why the quality of British housing has fallen so far behind.

In Harlow, Essex, Barratt is building so-called 'Manhattan pods' which are just 34 square metres in size.

In comparison, the average new build home in France is 112 square metres.

In London, Mayor Boris Johnson has pledged to stop "rabbit hutch-sized dwellings" being imposed on suburbs.

He promised to reintroduce 'Parker Morris' space standards for new residential developments in a bid to improve the quality of inner city living.

Sir Parker Morris was the chairman of the Central Housing Advisory Committee in 1961 which recommended minimum standards for space and design in British housing.

One of these was that a semi-detached for 4 people should have a net floor area of 72 square metres.

Speaking in June, Johnson said: 'I think it shameful that new buildings in London have some of the smallest rooms in Europe.'

'We will be re-establishing the space standards first promoted by the visionary planner Sir Parker Morris in 1961.'

'We need to build for the long term - buildings that people will want to keep for 100 years and not tear down in 30.'