The National Infrastrutture Commission (nic.org.uk) have published their Second National Infrastructure Assessment, a 30 year plan for the UK’s infrastructure needs to 2055 and beyond. Called NIA2 it contains a lot of good sense. Thank goodness this rare species is not yet extinct.
Wish we had the same sense for England’s housing needs for the next two generations. Producing a spatial plan for new homes starts with identifying locations where new homes are an absolute no no. We know where these are located. Look at the AONB (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) locations. Then look at the future infrastructure needs: start with NIA2. Finally ask locally based commercial estate agents where employers want to go given the choice. Double checks those findings with the big London based national firms. Their combined views will offer a good insight into the hidden wishes of the next generation of employers.
Implementation is equally obvious. Local council buy up, or acquire long term options on the key growth locations. In fact buying some ransom strips will be even cheaper. Snag is these steps require local foresight, local leadership and shrewd cross-party sense, not petty point scoring about short term conflicts. Are these initiatives beyond the capacity of local leaders? The 10+year change mould seems set for local changes by current short sighted local plans. Housing supply will of course be too little and what is allowed will be in locations chosen by developers and land owners with little regard to future infrastructure needs. But the possibility of local areas taking spatial back control becomes an option when local current and often delayed local plans have run their course. So we are looking at a period say starting 2035-2040 and beyond.
But first we need a spatial reserved areas housing plan. Is this step beyond the remit of the NIA?
Ian Campbell
26 November 2023
