My new paper to be published soon in Housing Studies Volume 35, Issue 3 explores the democratic practices through which housing site allocations are made in neighbourhood plans in England. “The production of a neighbourhood plan for housing site allocations … Continue reading
Category Archives: Housing
In support of a democratic plan-led system
A report on the findings of research with place-based groups in England engaged in planning decisions This report provides a brief summary of the findings of my research into attitudes to development planning among members of place-based amenity groups. Over … Continue reading
Survey on attitudes to housebuilding
What changes are needed to our current model of housebuilding? A new survey aims to gather the views of local residents about housing development and the planning system. The survey is being run by Dr. Quintin Bradley, senior lecturer in … Continue reading
Housing land speculation and the 5-year land supply
The accountancy regime used by planning authorities in England to provide a 5-year supply of housing land has encouraged land speculation and introduced perverse incentives for landowners and developers to reduce the supply of new homes. In my new article for Urban … Continue reading
One third of all homes with planning permission never get built
At least twice as much land is provided every year for housing than homes started on site and more than 30 per cent of homes with planning permission never get built at all. The number of homes approved for development … Continue reading
Is planning responsible for the housing crisis?
UK Government ministers continue to blame the planning system for the affordability crisis in housing. They are not alone. Many economists also say that planning restrictions stop house-builders from building the amount of homes we need. In April 2019 economist Christian … Continue reading
Is building more unaffordable homes the best way to make housing more affordable?
The solution to a housing crisis of affordability is – we are told – to build more homes. Housing economists agree, however, that we would need to build an unprecedented number of houses to have any effect on prices in … Continue reading
Why do we keep saying there is a housing shortage?
The real housing crisis is an affordability crisis, so why do we keep saying there is a housing shortage? When we talk about a housing crisis, we always talk about a crisis of under-supply. We all know the mantra: we … Continue reading
Will building more homes solve the housing crisis?
Do we have a housing crisis of under-supply, or a crisis of affordability? We seem to be confusing the two things. The current government target of building 300,000 new homes a year depends on the assumption that increasing supply will … Continue reading
The worst vested interest?
In February 2019 the Secretary to the UK Treasury, Liz Truss MP, one of the contenders to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister, described communities objecting to housebuilding as ‘the worst vested interest we’ve got’. Communities resisting development, she said … Continue reading