Understanding why, over forty to fifty years, we have broken the housing market is difficult. Homes are too expensive. Market failure is the cause. . Some attribute housing supply failure to a hundred minor faults. Many individual factors do play an incidental role. But most are a red herring. By far the biggest cause of … Continue reading Overcoming opposition to change

The previous blog dated 4 August 2025, Housing supply: can cities deliver? contained a new proposal for a National Land Service, or NLS. Exchanges since then on LinkedIn following a subsequent post about the New Towns Taskforce report, exposed lack of clarity about the role of a new National Land Service. This blog explains how … Continue reading How to supply building land

Chair of The New Towns Taskforce, Sir Michael Lyon’s about two weeks ago published an interesting LinkedIn post. He explained his thoughts about the recent Centre for Cities assessment of the mixed performance of different high streets. Sir Michael made good points. Not all high streets struggle; increased housing density in urban centres strengthens them; … Continue reading Housing supply: can cities deliver?

Thank you Lara Wildenberg, The Times (22 July 2025) for an interesting piece about George Finch, newly elected 19 year old Reform councillor who is now the leader of Warwickshire County Council. She says he is the youngest council leader in the country responsible for assets worth £1.5 billion, a budget of £400 million, and … Continue reading Daft democracy?