This is the ugly truth. Political parties in Westminster do not want to admit it. In the high demand fast growth areas, and in the high demand dormitory areas of the Home Counties and Southern England, local councils do not want, and do not intend to provide the homes needed in the future. Both main … Continue reading Face facts: councils cannot deliver the homes

A report in Planning Resource by Alex King (13 February 2026) quotes the Conservative chair of the District Councils Network, responding to the new government consultation on the geographical areas that the spatial development strategies will cover, saying “It defies common sense to exclude planning authorities, with their long standing local expertise and knowledge from … Continue reading ’Defies common sense’ claim is misplaced

The BBC NEWS story (5/02/26) reports that the team responsible for renovating the Palace of Westminster say the revamp could take 61 years and cost £40 billion.( FACT.CHECK : yes these are the two numbers in the report). Running costs are £1.5 million a week.These figures are spectacular evidence that something has gone wrong. It … Continue reading Are buildings assets or liabilities?

On Tuesday, 27 January 2026 the MHCLG issued a press release headed Housing Secretary rallies sector at housing and infrastructure roundtables making plain the Housing Secretary’s concern, saying “….the Housing sec stressed that while recovery is underway, government and industry alike cannot afford to let a generation down and must rise to the challenge together. … Continue reading Rallying support for change

Labour Together is a left leaning think tank, which has just published a proposal with lots of merit, which in time is doable and thank the lord has plenty of market potential. Right place and right time. So it is naive that it contains two fatal errors. Why is Labour and its activist and intellectual … Continue reading Elementary errors

Two housing experts with insight and experience have recently told us why house prices are excessive. Both make telling points. Both offer solutions. The solutions point in different directions. One solution could work. The other is will not. Both agree that the planning changes now being put forward by the government will fail to mend … Continue reading Wishful thinking or reality?

For years I have suspected that one of the biggest, and least visible reasons why so many people fear the idea of spatial change near them is this. People like, well sort off like if not love, the enduring and comforting sense of continuity their local out of doors never changing urban or rural environment … Continue reading Go big: be positive

Conversation during the Christmas break with sensible and informed observers of the broken housing market have made me see that what is plain to me is not plain to them. To repair the broken housing supply delivery pipeline, as I have said in previous blogs, there is an absolute necessity for a two step plan, … Continue reading Step 1; then Step 2 = NLS

Two articles explaining the reasons for housing supply failure and the solution are helpful. . By two well regarded experts each illustrates why there is a housing policy problem. Both make good points, but neither article nails why English housing policy since the 1970’s has failed. All the same both are welcome examples of the … Continue reading Messaging is messy

Yesterday’s edition of The Times (3 December 2025) carried an interesting and limited article by Neal Hudson. He is a housing market analyst. Interesting because his descriptions of the market failures, explaining why UK houses are not getting more affordable are correct. With some frustration they do not explain the root causes: why this gloomy … Continue reading More about house prices & market failure