What is the role of green belt if it is sterile? Tony Juniper is chairman of Natural England, the government’s environmental watchdog, and former head of Friends of the Earth says something important, which is published in today’s Sunday Telegraph by their Environment Editor, Emma Gatten. . It is. “ parts of the green belt … Continue reading Add open space?
Author: hattoncampbell
Chartered surveyor (ex/retired/2015); founder(1978) & senior partner Campbell Gordon; residential land buyer Wates Ltd; author several publications 1969/1990/1992/2014 addressing Thames Valley growth conflicts;ex-chair RICS Measurement C/ee; past chair & vice-president Berkshire Community Foundation.
50% increase in housing targets?
How to make residents into welcoming hosts? Should objectors pay? The story in today’s edition of the The Times (27 July) by the Whitehall and the Political Editors has caught attention. We’ll see soon. Would a 50% target uplift make all the difference? Targets might in the short term help, say the next 10 years. … Continue reading 50% increase in housing targets?
Working Together. Try again please.
Time to be radical. English political parties must work together. Doing so is in the national interest. In order to deliver the housing and infrastructure we need will take more than one parliament. Which, now the election verdict is in place, means we need all three English political parties to work together to deliver long … Continue reading Working Together. Try again please.
Hope Value. Fairness Matters.
The dangers of hibernation by landowners. The ability of shrewd councils to play the market, and win. I write with the advantage of long market experience. At my age, 80+ I have seen many times how actors in the property market react to uncertainty. How they react to perceptions of unfair treatment. These reactions are … Continue reading Hope Value. Fairness Matters.
Who decides?
The King’s Speech today sets out the new government’s legislative programme. I welcome the high profile given to new housing supply. Two decades ago, Tony.Blair’s second administration scarcely paid housing any attention, either in the Labour Party manifesto or in Parliament. But. twenty years ago is a long time. My fervent hope is that it … Continue reading Who decides?
Nonsense v. commercial sense!
If you want a fine example of our broken planning system read the letter published by the leader of East Hampshire District Council (Cllr. Richard Millard) on 11 July 2024 and addressed to Angela Rayner MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. He is upset. You will get why. Having employed a … Continue reading Nonsense v. commercial sense!
Unlocking growth
One the most informed and thoughtful journalists is Tim Hartford. (IMO on a par with Paul Johnson,, author of Follow the Money). Harford writes a sound, evidence based column in the Financial Times. So I looked forward to seeing his Channel 4 expose on Monday’s television broadcast Skint: The Truth About Britain’s Broken Economy. And … Continue reading Unlocking growth
Housing priorities
Media speculation about Labour’s housing priorities is helpful. If as suggested in The Sunday Times this morning they will make three housing policy announcements the first two I endorse. . Asking local authorities to review green belt land allocations to identify grey land is sound if the policy criteria they adopt in the review are … Continue reading Housing priorities
Conservative housing policy
Last night’s BBC1 TV debate between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, from a housing policy perspective was useful. First it hardly featured, despite the crucial role local councils spatial policy play in promoting or impeding growth viz., pylons to distribute electricity for the next generation of clean cars. And second, the … Continue reading Conservative housing policy
Housing targets, Conservative point scoring!
The objective is enough homes. Plainly stated, enough new supply so house prices once again in a decade or two ahead become become affordable. Here is the direction of travel. Here is fairness. Here is economic growth. Here is control, in place of unforeseen haphazard outbreaks of building. But we have lost our way. Focus … Continue reading Housing targets, Conservative point scoring!