Image courtesy of Craiyon AI
And so to Pinewood on Thursday morning for a Speech from Starmer on a Plan for Change. There’s no doubting that the government are on back foot in a number of areas and there more than just a few teething problems as they settle into this administration. It was clear that they were attempting to use this speech to remind us all that they have a plan!
No coincidence then for the choice of Pinewood as a location which has been one of the key locations of the amazing growth of the British film industry not least every Star Wars Film to date. The government is clearly wishing that the growth in the film industry was replicated across the board in growth in economy and not least house building.
Rayner provided the warm up act and repeated her aim for delivery of housing and affordable housing without going into too much detail. Next came Sir Kier to largely repeat his previous pledges which (alongside education, NHS and policing & crime) were to reiterate the promise to build 1.5 million homes.
Turning to the Planning System he described it as a blockage in the economy that is so big that it obscures an entire future and stops this country delivering the infrastructure it needs. He was very quick to add that this is the sort of nonsense up with which he will not put. His Plan for Change is to streamlinine the approval process as part of the new Infrastructure and Planning Bill. As part of this he announced another new target of not just 1.5million homes, but also 150 major infrastructure projects. Tripling the number of DCOs in comparison with previous administration. Down with the nimbies and the naysayers says Kier who should no longer have the upper hand.
Ok great, but the problem is that those nimbies and naysayers still do have the upper hand in many if not most instances in our current planning system.
There was a lot of flack afterwards on the lack of detail in the speech and that it was just another rehash of pledges made in the run up to the election. To be fair, the pledge on 1.5 million homes is perhaps the most specific of all the things they have been saying since winning the election.
Pennycook was on the media rounds this morning and I caught him on the today programme first thing. So did David Bainbridge and gave a very good summary. I like Pennycook he is robust and says it how it is. A lot of politicians have a habit of saying ‘ we’ve been absolutely clear on this…..’ when what they really mean is that they haven’t been very clear at all! Pennycook said that a number of times today and it to be fair they have been clear on their target of 1.5 million homes. It was in the manifesto and they haven’t departed from it. Yet. It is safe to say that many (here, here, and also here) are suggesting that it is not achievable. For a very detailed analysis on this, the fantastic James Maurici published his detailed thoughts on the matter in the last week which are definitely worth a read. And I have to say that I am minded to agree.
Then today, Starmer is doubling down in his leader in the Times with a second swipe on those nimbies and the naysayers.
There are still many questions afterwards on how achievable the 1.5million homes is. Starmer says we are going for it and they aren’t scared to take the planning decisions that they need in order to deliver housing.
Lets hope this is more Return of the Jedi and less Return of the Sausages.
I have several predictions for 2025 but one is that it is possibly not too early for labour to capitulate on the 'delivery' of 1.5 million homes but in doing so set out that they now know why it isn’t going to be achievable. Firstly resistance from local councils to even try and hit the numbers and therefore this points towards the more radical shake up that can only be brought about through a return to strategic planning. And secondly. That if they are going to deliver anything like 1.5 million homes going forward then New Towns are the way forward and they have a solution on that too. In doing so perhaps they have an opportunity to convince others that they can deliver what they say they will.
AB - my own thoughts
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