There is a school of thought which says new towns, and large urban extensions, are not the right way to solve the homes crisis. Instead the focus must be on regeneration of urban centres. Critics say new towns are an out of date solution; not sustainable; because governments, not people decide; that they will destroy … Continue reading Can new towns succeed?

Sir James Cleverly is the recently appointed Conservative shadow housing secretary. So what he says in response to the government’s housing policy statements matters a lot. Labour are showing welcome courage and maturity, by elevating new home building much higher up in their policy priorities. Much higher than any previous government. Evidence of the sincerity … Continue reading Planning and Cross-Party Leadership

Simon Collier, a partner at David Lock Associates has posted on LinkedIn an excellent article published in the The Sunday Times at the recent bank holiday,(24 August, 2025). Written by Tom Knowles and Lottie Hayton, it tells us ‘How to build a new town’ . So far as the piece goes, with solid professional support … Continue reading New towns: next steps

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?

The Conservative Party leader this week appointed Sir James Cleverly as her new shadow housing minister. He is said to be a shadow cabinet heavy-weight. If this means the Tories under Kemi Badenoch are taking the housing issue seriously his appointment is good news. It also means they are no longer running away from the … Continue reading Will they U-turn?

Good news. Planning minister Pennycook has (17 July) told the House of Lords built environment committee’s new towns inquiry the government will take forward sites for new towns put forward by the.New Towns Taskforce even if there is local opposition if the site proposal is in the national interest. It is clear the government is … Continue reading Defying local opposition

There is a revealing comment in this morning’s Financial Times about the Chancellor of the Exchequer ‘Pledges to reduce City red tape to the rest of the UK economy’ speech to the Mansion House audience which starkly highlights the passionate selfishness of those who oppose new homes for our children. ‘’Interested’ said that They raise … Continue reading FT Commentator