There is an article in the new edition of Town & Country Planning ( September-October 2025) entitled (Development value taxes: ideas for the future) which is worth the time to read. By four eminent experts in planning, their ideas need attention. They suggest three scenarios for change. First, whilst acknowledging CIF and S.106’s have reasons … Continue reading Land value capture: keep it simple

On 28 September 2025 the MHCLG published the government’s Initial government response-September 2025 setting out their thoughts and first reactions to the New Town Taskforce’s recommendations, and policy on planning, land acquisition and next steps. If we compare this step with the total abdication of spatial leadership by the previous government over 14 years , … Continue reading Exemplary new towns

Two sensible pieces written by thoughtful journalists in the The I Paper yesterday (Friday, 26 September 2025) by Richard Vaughan and Richard Palmer (Poundbury homes built by King inspire Labour’s new towns); and BBC News online today by Sean Coughlan (How the King’s vision is shaping the next wave of new towns) contain encouraging insights … Continue reading Buying land for new towns

There is a school of thought which says new towns, and large urban extensions, are not the right way to solve the homes crisis. Instead the focus must be on regeneration of urban centres. Critics say new towns are an out of date solution; not sustainable; because governments, not people decide; that they will destroy … Continue reading Can new towns succeed?

Sir James Cleverly is the recently appointed Conservative shadow housing secretary. So what he says in response to the government’s housing policy statements matters a lot. Labour are showing welcome courage and maturity, by elevating new home building much higher up in their policy priorities. Much higher than any previous government. Evidence of the sincerity … Continue reading Planning and Cross-Party Leadership

Simon Collier, a partner at David Lock Associates has posted on LinkedIn an excellent article published in the The Sunday Times at the recent bank holiday,(24 August, 2025). Written by Tom Knowles and Lottie Hayton, it tells us ‘How to build a new town’ . So far as the piece goes, with solid professional support … Continue reading New towns: next steps

Understanding why, over forty to fifty years, we have broken the housing market is difficult. Homes are too expensive. Market failure is the cause. . Some attribute housing supply failure to a hundred minor faults. Many individual factors do play an incidental role. But most are a red herring. By far the biggest cause of … Continue reading Overcoming opposition to change

The previous blog dated 4 August 2025, Housing supply: can cities deliver? contained a new proposal for a National Land Service, or NLS. Exchanges since then on LinkedIn following a subsequent post about the New Towns Taskforce report, exposed lack of clarity about the role of a new National Land Service. This blog explains how … Continue reading How to supply building land

Chair of The New Towns Taskforce, Sir Michael Lyon’s about two weeks ago published an interesting LinkedIn post. He explained his thoughts about the recent Centre for Cities assessment of the mixed performance of different high streets. Sir Michael made good points. Not all high streets struggle; increased housing density in urban centres strengthens them; … Continue reading Housing supply: can cities deliver?

Thank you Lara Wildenberg, The Times (22 July 2025) for an interesting piece about George Finch, newly elected 19 year old Reform councillor who is now the leader of Warwickshire County Council. She says he is the youngest council leader in the country responsible for assets worth £1.5 billion, a budget of £400 million, and … Continue reading Daft democracy?