‘Get on and Build, the Deputy Prime Minister urges housebuilders.’ This headline of a government press release issued on 25th May sums up all that is wrong and ridiculous about their approach to new housing. How can they believe that making a cycle of new threats to housebuilders will deliver their cooperation, when it manifestly … Continue reading Wake up!

At UKREiiF in Leeds last week communications consultancy SEC Newgate launched its fifth survey of 485 local councillors sitting on planning committees. The results offer an interesting but alarming glimpse of their insights into housing policy failure. Most must be muddled or confused. 92% of councillors report the housing crisis has persisted or worsened; 77% … Continue reading Are 485 councillors confused?

Now we know. If the government understands the broken housing market and how to mend it. They do not. Since last year’s general election and the government’s high profile commitment to build 1.5 million new homes by summer 2029 I have wondered and have entertained hopes. Their flurry of planning initiatives have attracted a lot … Continue reading Big error. Please U-turn.

Cllr Patrick Harley. Leader of Dudley Borough Council (Dudley News, Martyn Smith 12 May 2025) says “Let’s kill the myth on grey belt, we have no real real grey belt in Dudley….” And he also says Dudley’s house building target of of 1594 new homes a year is unachievable “even if we allocated all green … Continue reading Local flights of fancy

According to TCPA’s director of policy, Hugh Ellis , who is opposed to the national scheme of delegation, said when giving evidence to the second sitting of the Planning and infrastructure Bill on 24 April 2025 removing ‘democratic opportunities in the cause of speeding up the process is utterly counterproductive’ because ‘People are not the … Continue reading Wretched responses