And are not the solution. To England’s broken housing supply market. This is the reality. So it is desperately sad that Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State for Housing and Planning has just re-stated the government’s commitment to their retention. Today, (27 November 2025) he made a Statement about their future role which includes this quotation … Continue reading Local plans are the problem
Month: November 2025
Why house prices won’t fall
On 30 October 2025 I published a blog (Why land prices will not fall) explaining why despite growing negative sentiment in the house selling sector sellers of building land will not respond to falling land values.That instead they will wait for the inevitable sunny uplands that, based on past post war experience, always return regardless … Continue reading Why house prices won’t fall
Monopoly house prices.
Happened to be reading about Warren Buffet’s imminent retirement, at aged 95. What vigorously caught my attention is a quote attributed to him. Its message goes far to identify where responsibility for England’s broken housing supply system lies.. Here it is ’The single most important decision in evaluating a business is pricing power. If you’ve … Continue reading Monopoly house prices.
Why land prices won’t fall
On 30 October 2025 Neal Hudson, the housing market analyst wrote in the FT a thoughtful piece about housing market failure. The headline summed up his analysis the problem New homes: even if you build them, there’s no one to buy them. The writer’s explanation was to focus on the distinction between housing need and … Continue reading Why land prices won’t fall
New Towns Report: one more threat! No 3.
The two previous blogs (31 October and 5 November 2025) talked about the dangers the New Towns Taskforce recent report faces, from landowners and local residents. There is a third threat, from a source overlooked in the report. It is what I call phoney political polarisation, or if you prefer phoney political posturing. Wokingham Borough … Continue reading New Towns Report: one more threat! No 3.
New Towns Report: securing local support
My last blog (31 October 2025 New Towns Report: land ownership) made recommendations to head off local landowners opposition to the New Towns Taskforce recommendations in an equitable way.. In particular its focus was on Recommendation 22 which says landowners need to know what value they can expect first their land. There is an another … Continue reading New Towns Report: securing local support