Someone on LinkedIn recently expressed concerns on this topic. He or she is right to worry about the barriers to building. So I wrote this Comment below on their Post. As I feel it usefully summarises why I am gloomy about the prospects for a meaningful recovery in the rate of house building in the near term, despite government hopes and plans, here are the reasons why I too worry about why ‘build baby build’ may be more wishful thinking.
“ I am interested in getting England building again. But only see barriers. No solid evidence that political leaders judged by their actions, not by their words are willing to mend the broken system. Optimism has a role. But does not deliver. Candour can deliver. Some hard facts:
- One party in one parliamentary term can’t deliver generational change. A coalition of parties might.
- Has any party said they will cooperate?
- LVC is contentious. Nationalisation of hope value is unfair. But landowners do not create it. There is an answer. Political parties avoid it. Stasis will remain until they they grasp it
- Brownfield development = site assembly of lots of legal interests. Private sector sponsors cannot deliver these sites without active council participation. No local councils offer generational, cross-party support. After 50 years urban regeneration failure I have no belief this barrier will be overcome.
- National need for spatial change v. local fear off unexpected/unwanted change rampages unchecked. Nor will this change
These are my reasons, based on experience of an old man, I see no reason to expect a change in delivery rates of new homes. Concerns about viability are.simply the first rumble of storms far ahead.”
Hope I am proved wrong.
Ian Campbell
27 October 2025
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