Responding to back bench pressure from Theresa Villiers, MP and her 50+ supporters Michael Gove, has withdrawn the Levelling Up Bill. It is reported he wants to work constructively with colleagues on the matter. There is no plan to provide the homes growth and productivity needs, or the homes the next generations need. These are big gaps.
The good news some Conservative back benchers can see where a myopic stance goes. The passionate debate about on shore wind turbines is also encouraging. These essential issues are receiving real time attention for the first time.
What a shame the omissions are only by seen as problems. But they are also exciting investment, land value capture, business generation, quality of life enhancing, zero carbon reducing opportunities across large parts of England. Call it direction, foresight and vision, or call it levelling up. Whether you look at the best urban solutions worldwide, or the best long term value creating track records of landed estates in England, evidence exists that these divisive fears can be turned into wealth generating chances in many local areas willing to accept long term policies have their place. Thinking on these lines is not an opportunistic ideology. It is shrewd civic leadership in the local communities the private sector cannot deliver.
Because each political party faces the same difficulties the time is coming for cross-party harmony in Westminster and cross-border dialogue locally. The mission is to plan for, and achieve shared objectives, in place of a broken system. How? Follow demand as usual; follow spatial guidelines; establish governance bodies in the growth areas, and not in the no-go zones. Worried about delivery failure, numbers failure? Read the Commission for New Towns reports on delivery after WW2, and learn the lessons.
Ian Campbell
30 November 2022
