Updates

The Property Owning Democracy

Policy Exchange published their report on The Property Owning Democracy on December 4, 2023.

They comment that “homeownership is virtually impossible for anyone who does not inherit a considerable amount of wealth, or is earning many times the median wage”. Housing is, they say, “rapidly becoming the preserve of the richest in society”.

A copy can be downloaded here.

Government Consultation on Street Votes

The Government announced a street vote consultation running to 2nd February 2024 on the detailed operation of street vote development orders.  These will inform the content of regulations using new powers in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.

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The Return of Help To Buy?

On December 26 2023, Andrew Lainton drew attention to a report from The Times about Conservative Government plans for helping young people to buy their own home.

It will be interesting to see how it affects Government financial support to London for those on low incomes who may be unlikely to be able to purchase a home.

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Government Publishes the National Planning Policy Framework (and more!)

The DLUHC has at last published the revised National Planning Policy Framework.

There is a searchable version here with supportive planning guidance here.

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The Chief Planner has issued her latest DLUHC newsletter to local authorities as here.

It covers Biodiversity Net Gain implementation.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities published a paper containing its views around speeding up the delivery of major infrastructure on November 22, 2023.

The slides for the above meeting are now available here.

The LPGs discussed in the meeting are in Section 3 at this link.

London Forum has commented to Government on their proposals, as here.

London Forum’s President Ben Derbyshire speaking at the October 2023 AGM, highlighted his newly published book – Home Truths.  He said that after 50 years as an architect, he wanted to pass on what he felt young architects ought to know. Firstly that we need to learn from ‘Loved Housing’. (more…)

London Forum’s Patron Professor Tony Travers, Visiting professor in the LSE Dept of Government and Director of LSE London gave a speech at London Forum’s AGM on October 12, 2023 in which he asked us to consider London as it is today and think how it came about.

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Almost two-thirds of planners cannot confirm they will have resources in place to meet the November 2023 biodiversity net gain (BNG) deadline, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has reported.

The Government wishes to speed up the preparation and inspection of Local Plans and to ensure that all plans of local authorities are updated and completed in a defined timescale from now.
There is a consultation on their proposals to 18th October 2023 here.