What a reversal in residents attitudes to new housing Simon Clarke, housing secretary is seeking. ’What I would like to have is a system …….. whereby if you’re a resident of X community there is something in it for you about a new settlement in your area. Clever him. He sees why the system is … Continue reading Incentivise locals to welcome housing

Hurrah! We all agree. Do you remember Pete Seeger singing Ticky Tacky little boxes, all the same in 1963? Worth the two minutes of time. After 60 years of beautiful warning, or 30 years blunt warning someone is listening. Well done Levelling-up Secretary Simon Clarke. This is progress. 2084 looks like a realistic guess. Thank … Continue reading No cardboard boxes in our shires

This is the policy of Lee Rowley the new housing minister. Engaging with residents means they must step up to the plate too. Rights come with responsibilities, he says. Will he and his boss have the courage to follow through? Taken literally, these words will mend the broken planning system. For example, look at Maidenhead’s … Continue reading Be straight with local residents

Sir Keir Starmer says his party will stop speculators blocking building and will give councils power to designate sites for large scale development. These are two worthy objectives with one gigantic proviso. Both initiatives are aligned with the market; not enforced on open market without full open market value compensation, including 100% hope value when … Continue reading Labour’s Approach

The PM and the Chancellor want to promote growth locally, provided it will not alienate their electors or MP's. This growth mind-set is welcome. Fear of alienating their voting base is reality too. But the new homes, the infrastructure and the growth they want will not happen without one key ingredient: local leadership. Several decades … Continue reading Growth Plan

Our new PM, Liz Truss says that to grow the size of the pie she is prepared to take on vested interests. In which case will she take on Tory councillors and MP’s in the rural shires who block new housing? To do so needs a mental switch to long term policy thinking. This is … Continue reading Vested interests and the housing deficit

With clarity I recall watching a television programme for the first time as a young school boy. Her Majesty’s coronation in 1953. You set a very high bar for discretion, integrity, and judgement. Thank you for the lesson. Following it as an entrepreneur, with infrequent mentors was often nearly impossible. Perhaps it is easier now … Continue reading Thanks and hope

Tempting as it is to say dream on, instead it is better to look at why this is not likely. Dambisa Moyo, an economist published Edge of Chaos in 2018. From p.136 I quote ‘The root cause of this skepticism about democracy is also the crux of the forces that have brought us to the … Continue reading Will we get a housing policy from Liz Truss?

The Levelling Up,Housing and Communities Committee worries the new bill means levelling is just a slogan. Nothing will happen until local councils find the confidence to lead they lost two generations ago. Levelling up is the name childish leaders like to use to replace policy with a slogan. Then fly over to Kyiv for the … Continue reading Local communities must learn to Grow Up

Another week has passed. No housing insights from either Conservative party candidate. The cost of living crisis is registering. Good. BOE base rate increases will hit the cost of home loans hard. Not good. Unnecessary debt which measures the price of political failure. This housing stuff is corrosive. Best to ignore it seems to be … Continue reading No hope?