Is this leadership? PM Sunak dumped the housing targets due to pressure from Tory members, back benchers and councillors. A consistent story of , un Conservative nationally imposed targets he said, in his ConservativeHome interview yesterday. But ‘Let’s talk about home ownership’ he says. It is all about striking the right balance he adds. It … Continue reading Pious PM Fails

Introduction In England we have a housing problem. Prices and rents are too high for young people. Halving them and mortgage debt over a generation (by 2050/2060) will boost their future prosperity. But worry today’s generation of home owners. Will their equity, for example dry up if supply matches demand? Conflicting priorities blocks progress. Locally … Continue reading New homes with Local Support

My last post was 8 March, in which I said I will post my solution soon. This is taking time. Please be patient. So here is a version of the key concern, being a recent comment by me attached to an FT article. It captures the political dilemma. You must stop believing what the political … Continue reading Stop press

Yesterday’s ConservativeHome had an interesting piece by someone who should know the truth. Bartek Staniszewski is a researcher at Bright Blue. He correctly points out that Labour are no more ambitious than the Conservatives in policy terms intended to build more houses. He concludes “Unless this failed consensus is broken, the housing crisis is here … Continue reading Housing policy failure; a consensus?

The Centre for Cities think tank has released a report, The Housebuilding Crisis. It contains interesting, in fact thought provoking numbers. First up, saying that if the UK had built houses at same rate of the average West European country in the period 1955-2015 we would now have an additional 4.3 million homes, a 15% … Continue reading Homes deficit-4.3m?

Popular wisdom says, when you in a hole, stop digging deeper. The Conservatives remain in denial. They want more new homes and a more balanced economy, but remain prisoners of their Party’s activists, who are opposed to new housing near them and any government interference in the spatial market. For them, levelling up is a … Continue reading Facing facts

It is. Whereas levelling up is a just a label. If you doubt it, read Levelling up- planning’s most intractable problem? says Dr Nick Green, senior tutor in the School of Planning at the University of Manchester (article in The Journal of the Town and Country Planning Association, November-Decemeber 2022, vol. 91; no.6). Pointing out … Continue reading Long term is the key

It is time to look again at these proposals. At the Labour Party conference in September 2022 Starmer said he wants to accelerate house building. He also admitted their plans, to stop private firms from delaying the start of development will be opposed by Conservative MP’s. “None of this will be easy-it won’t be like … Continue reading Labour’s planning reforms

Sunak says his party will deliver on promises to level up, by investing in local areas to boost growth and reinvigorate high streets and town centres. Starmer says his party, as part of a five year, parliamentary term growth strategy will reform the planning system. In reality, will either mend the broken planning system, and … Continue reading Tory v. Labour vows

Some useful light was thrown on Conservative and Labour housing supply policies during a debate last Thursday in Westminster Hall. Labour’s shadow housing minister said there are not enough sites on brownfield registers to deliver the volume of homes that the country needs every year, let alone that are viable. Matthew Pennycock MP added “Even … Continue reading Makes no sense