Another housing and planning minister, Lucy Fraser has left her job. The frequency of the ministerial changes is worrying. Is it because new homes do not matter, or is it because the PM gives low or perhaps no priority to mending the broken planning system? After decades of central government policy failure finding individuals who … Continue reading Minister leaves

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee new decision to examine the government’s pre Xmas deal with 50+ Conservative backbench rebels opposed to housing targets is reassuring. Clive Betts, who chairs the committee says he wants to hear a range of views on the government’s proposed policies and will take evidence from March onwards. … Continue reading MPs query U-turn

Writing the earlier blog today ‘Young people are being abandoned’ prompted me to read the CPRE November 2021 report Recycling our land: state of brownfield 2021 as it is the justification of the government’s policy to rely on brownfield land. My reaction was shock. A housing policy where the foundations are built on sand, will … Continue reading Solution: brownfield land?

According to the authors of a new Centre for Policy Studies report The Case for Housebuilding the intention of the government, first announced by the Prime Minister in November, to adopt a ‘brownfield first’ housing policy will “signal a major retreat on housebuilding (which) suggest that younger people are being abandoned and that home ownership … Continue reading ‘Younger people are being abandoned’

Yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph (15 January 2023) contains an in-depth analysis by Szu Ping Chan of the threats and opportunities housing policy failure presents to the political parties. His analysis of the splits in the market between renters, mortgage-holders and outright owners, particularly their differing reactions to changes in mortgage interest rates (depending upon their, or … Continue reading Housing market conflicts.

The Housing Secretary Michael Give has endorsed a proposal from Policy Exchange (A School of Place) to set up a new professional training centre to boost architectural and urban design skills. Remembering the 40,000+ responses to Boris Johnson’s two white papers in 2020 it could be well subscribed. He reflects the deep, widespread disappointment with … Continue reading Is poor design the problem?

Yesterday the 1922 (Conservative) BEIS Backbench Committee published a remarkable recommendation in their report Energy Market Reform: tackling the energy trilemma. It is to pay up to 100% of domestic household energy bills to those most affected by new renewables or fracking projects near them. Three miles is mentioned. Former Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom’s committee, … Continue reading Breakthrough?

The statements this week by the Prime Minister, and a day later by leader of the Labour Party suggest both favour more local control. Which is good. On Wednesday Sir Keir Starmer put his finger on it, saying devolution is an opportunity to move past the short term mindset and the sticking plaster politics of … Continue reading New homes. And delivery.

In run up to Christmas Michal Gove made a written ministerial statement and wrote to MPs with some reassurances, intended to keep the 50+ rebels on board. By way of clarification in his DLUHC statement he added these important words ”If we are to deliver the new homes this country needs, new development must have … Continue reading Has hope died?

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