All policy articles
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News
Labour to unveil golden rules for building on ‘grey belt’
The policy has the potential to unlock land to build hundreds of thousands of new homes, says Knight Frank
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Comment
Was Angela Rayner right to buy?
The shadow levelling-up secretary has taken flak for exercising her right to buy, but Labour too has a long history of dalliance with the concept of selling council homes, writes Ben Flatman
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In Focus
The general election race is on…what the parties are saying on housing, planning and building safety
The next general election is just months away. Housing Today looks at the key talking points.
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Comment
Lessons from Australia: What England’s social housing system could learn from down under
Matthew Bailes recently attended a housing conference in Melbourne. Here he compares the Australian and English social housing systems and finds much to like in the former.
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Comment
How do we respond to the devastating affordable housing funding cuts in Scotland?
The social housing sector in Scotland is reeling from a 26% cut to affordable housing funding. But what can the sector do in response? asks Ryan Barclay
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News
Dame Kate Barker to lead new housing inquiry
The economist will head up a new commission into housing shortages in England, 20 years on from the Barker review of housing supply
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News
Budget 2024 reaction round-up: disappointment over lack of measures to boost supply
How key housing figures reacted to Jeremy Hunt’s pre-election Budget
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Comment
Why green belt development is sometimes the best
Building on the green belt is politically unpopular, but it can bring benefits that brownfield development cannot, argues Craig Pettit
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Comment
Ministers must think of housing as national infrastructure - not as an addition to national debt
Long-term investment in housing would create economic benefits, supporting growth, jobs, skills and supply chains, argues Fiona Fletcher-Smith
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News
Gove unveils proposed planning guidance changes in bid to boost brownfield development
Housing secretary wants planning authorities to take a less “bureaucratic” approach to urban development
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Comment
Revised planning framework shows Gove has not completely caved in to the NIMBYs
Ministers seem to have taken the view that there are votes in delivery, but can the proposals be delivered as intended, asks Peter Canavan
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News
Housing bodies hit out at government over reported ‘British homes for British workers’ social housing policy
The Chartered Institute of Housing and Shelter raise concerns about ‘scapegoating policy ideas’
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Comment
Gove’s plan to speed up planning decisions could have unintended consequences
Rather than procedural change to drive the illusion of improvement, we should completely re-assess what planners need to be doing, argues Paul Smith
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Comment
A flurry of policy announcements and a general election: why housing is set for a busy 2024
Barratt boss David Thomas explains what he wants to see from the shifting policy landscape over the next 12 months
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Comment
Is the housing crisis just too big a problem for politics to crack?
The recently published National Planning Policy Framework highlights how difficult housing reform can be. Can we expect better from the outcome of a general election, asks Simon Rawlinson
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Comment
Reflecting on 2023: we are now further from 300,000-home goal
Paul Smith reflects on the key housing policy changes in 2023 and assesses the government’s progress on housing
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Comment
What housing needs from the election manifestos
As the political parties start to focus on their pledges to the electorate, the housing sector must make the case for a long-term strategy, argues David Orr
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Comment
Why do we keep missing the government’s housing delivery target?
The housing market is not dysfunctional, it is the planning system that is holding back development, writes Paul Smith
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Comment
Money in the autumn statement was in short supply – but ministers do have tools now to boost development
Jeremy Hunt’s ‘autumn statement’ offered thin gruel for housing but there are reasons to be optimistic, writes Paul Smith