Plans to buy building land at a discount are a mistake. Saying so gives Labour’s opponents a powerful weapon. Instead Labour must reach out to the other parties. Lead story in today’s front cover of the The Times, is a piece by their Policy Editor, Oliver Wright. He reports that councils are to be given … Continue reading Massive mistake: fast reversal
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.
Fear of change(2): local support
History of growing local opposition. Tories abolish the future. New government must find ways to reverse the 1970/1980’s silent, undemocratic revolution. Why is there very little local support for change? Why is there so little foresight? Why are local leaders so often myopic as a group despite the obvious detrimental consequences? Why do local residents … Continue reading Fear of change(2): local support
Frustration, failure and fear (1)
A one party housing solution will not work. A 5 year, one parliament housing solution will not work. Landowners must become allies, not opponents. Councils must act like investors, looking generations ahead. They are custodians of the future. Unlike many online housing commentators, buoyed up by Angela Rayner’s, Deputy PM announcements published on Tuesday (30 … Continue reading Frustration, failure and fear (1)
New Towns Code
Developers who are by nature traders, not long term investors cannot deliver new towns-even if they say they can. Place making, creating premiums locations people will love, takes decades, foresight and shrewd civic leadership. According to the government today this New Town Code will be a code of rules that developers will have to meet … Continue reading New Towns Code
Add open space?
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?
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!