The New Towns Taskforce is fully manned, fired-up and away. The chair and members look promising. Reading its Terms of Reference, the NTT looks like the government’s best hope so far for boosting economic growth, the supply of new homes and above all putting the national interest first when making spatial decisions about development. For … Continue reading New Towns Taskforce: thundering off

Promising article in the Guardian, (Sunday, 16 September 2016, Kiran Stacey) about local support for more new homes. If true, it is the best planning news since the general election. According to YouGov polling fewer than one in five voters are “hard nimbys”, essentially those who oppose local house building under almost any circumstances. Jack … Continue reading Local support? Yes, no or…..?

Building lots of new homes in a hurry carries risks. Taking advice from the wrong ‘experts’ increases the risks. Building 1.5 million attractive, sustainable new homes in one parliament is not possible. Which matters more? Lots of new boxes built in the suburbs regardless of location, quality and local support …. but fast? Or getting … Continue reading Wrong friends?

Institute report good analysis of system defects. But solution is wishful thinking The regarded think tank, the Institute for Government has published (30 August 2024) a thorough analysis of the the reasons why successive governments have found it difficult to deliver on housebuilding pledges. How the government can build more homes, written by the Institute … Continue reading Where power lies. Reality or illusion?

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?

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!

One the most informed and thoughtful journalists is Tim Hartford. (IMO on a par with Paul Johnson,, author of Follow the Money). Harford writes a sound, evidence based column in the Financial Times. So I looked forward to seeing his Channel 4 expose on Monday’s television broadcast Skint: The Truth About Britain’s Broken Economy. And … Continue reading Unlocking growth

Media speculation about Labour’s housing priorities is helpful. If as suggested in The Sunday Times this morning they will make three housing policy announcements the first two I endorse. . Asking local authorities to review green belt land allocations to identify grey land is sound if the policy criteria they adopt in the review are … Continue reading Housing priorities

Last night’s BBC1 TV debate between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, from a housing policy perspective was useful. First it hardly featured, despite the crucial role local councils spatial policy play in promoting or impeding growth viz., pylons to distribute electricity for the next generation of clean cars. And second, the … Continue reading Conservative housing policy

The objective is enough homes. Plainly stated, enough new supply so house prices once again in a decade or two ahead become become affordable. Here is the direction of travel. Here is fairness. Here is economic growth. Here is control, in place of unforeseen haphazard outbreaks of building. But we have lost our way. Focus … Continue reading Housing targets, Conservative point scoring!