🎉Meet Alex Sciarretta: our new Group Land Director!

Alex supports all our regions and Richborough Commercial in accelerating #land studies and site acquisition to support our ambitious growth plans.

#planning
richborough.co.uk/2024/04/11/ale…

Interesting and well worth a read, not least the turnout rates (and democratic mandate levels) between national and local elections. Plus the interesting overseas examples. All relevant to the planning system where the central vs local split is writ large. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.11…

Beyond Barker by Home BuildersFed HBF shows again how UK housing/planning policy always moves against housebuilding when market capacity to deliver big but supports when market appetite isn’t there.
Hopefully 2025 creates a genuine opportunity to break cycle
hbf.co.uk/news/20-years-…

It was great to catch-up with Sir Michael Lyons and fellow commissioners to discuss what the next government can learn from the Lyons Housing Review.

Thanks Martin Hilditch for bringing us back together and Katharine Swindells for the Inside Housing report. insidehousing.co.uk/insight/the-ly….

Loved this. Two of my favourite Scots (bar Mrs B) discussing Country music and Fergus Sings the Blues.😍

Obvs biased (Barratt scheme) but can’t disagree with this.
Brownfield, huge housing need, 50% affordable, £49m to hospital, new mental health unit for 1.2m residents, 32 acre public park, shops, care home, land for school. Refused cos more people will use public transport. Crazy

Best article I’ve read on the (party) politics of housebuilding. Always been opportunities and challenges across the left/right spectrum but the electoral benefits of accelerating housing supply now seem clear. ft.com/content/1cfe06…

Valuable public service from Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇸🇺🇦 explaining clearly & in detail why building more housing at market prices improves affordability overall.

Seems to me so obvious as to be barely worth all that effort explaining. But clearly is needed. If you need convincing, do read.

One of the all-time reviews here - sensational stuff.

Full blog here smacking down the ridiculous claims 👇
iea.org.uk/what-the-suppl…

🚫150,000 homes are being blocked by old EU laws.

📉Policy Exchange estimates that’s £35.6bn in lost GDP growth.

🧱Former Housing Ministers are calling for urgent change.

Robert Jenrick Simon Clarke MP Rachel Maclean MP Brandon Lewis Greg Clark

telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/1…

Presented without comment.

So sad to read. Planning giant but so humble, friendly and supportive with it. Huge friend to Lichfields in Newcastle over the years - steady stream of superb graduates plus supportive of all partnership efforts. RIP.

At 172 pages the CMA Report has something for everyone.
Some personal thoughts on the Top 10 points on the planning and the land market elements.
Spoiler - lots of analysis and findings but improving planning appears seems to be the key output.

philipbarnesblog.wordpress.com/2024/03/06/cma…

If you build a lot of houses in a city, costs fall. Hopefully Michael Gove Sadiq Khan Rachel Reeves are looking at the international evidence. London could again become a great place to be young.

At 172 pages the CMA Report has something for everyone.
Some personal thoughts on the Top 10 points on the planning and the land market elements.
Spoiler - lots of analysis and findings but improving planning appears seems to be the key output.

philipbarnesblog.wordpress.com/2024/03/06/cma…

Cool to see a governor intuitively explain a concept like reverse filtering: if you don't build more housing, the existing stock gets more expensive.

Litterpickingood.
Made good use of Barratt Developments Annual Volunteering Day helping the brilliant @iloveouseburn to tidy up,the fabulous Ouseburn Valley.

Congratulations to Jennifer Winyard who takes the helm as #NationalChair of Women in Property today - have a great year Jennifer! And a BIG thank you to outgoing Chair Chithra Marsh...time for a rest now😊
bit.ly/3V2lnns

Hallelujah.
CMA confirms that to boost volume the sector needs more sales outlets, which means more planning permissions.
But wait……..the naysayers still say planning is irrelevant and it’s only about demand.
Some thoughts in latest blogpost
philipbarnesblog.wordpress.com/2024/02/28/out…