Crane drain: Construction falls to 10-year low Property Commercial property development in the UK has plunged to its lowest level in over a decade, as tighter monetary conditions and sparse demand continue to weigh on construction. According to a fresh analysis from Costar, just 68m square feet of offices, industrial and retail sites was being developed at the end of September, a 16 [...]
Build, baby, build? Not without serious property tax reform Opinion YIMBYs are right about planning reform, but we must also urgently tackle our broken property tax system to beat the housing crisis.
New minister must not kowtow to the social housing mafia like Angela Rayner Opinion Steve Reed must choose: will he side with reformers who understand the need for the private sector to be allowed to deliver, or with the old guard whose obsession with social and affordable housing means perpetual scarcity dressed up as compassion? Asks Simon Clarke When the new Housing Secretary, Steve Reed, declared on Monday he [...]
Shoreditch Works is a development the whole of London should seek to replicate May 19, 2025 Plans for Shoreditch Works show it is possible to build beautiful places that people actually want. The rest of London, take note.
The Debate: Should we build on the green belt? May 14, 2025 As Sadiq Khan commits to releasing parts of the green belt, we get two experts to make the case for and against in this week's Debate.
If we want our economy to grow, our skyline must go up, up, up March 10, 2025 The City's skyline is always changing, but if we want our economy to grow bigger, it must go higher, writes Chris Hayward.
Fine words from Reeves – now let’s get Britain building January 29, 2025 Rachel Reeves is right to make reforming our sclerotic planning system the centrepiece of her economic strategy. But if she’s going to succeed she must consign the bat tunnels and fish discos that too often block development to the dustbin of history, says Sam Richards In 2014 winter sports fans were getting ready for the [...]
Lack of bids keeps 17,000 homes stuck in development purgatory December 17, 2024 Around 17,000 affordable homes are stuck in development purgatory due to a lack of demand from housing providers, according to new research. Under the English planning system, housing developments must set aside a proportion of the site for affordable housing via a Section 106 deal. These Section 106 houses have become an increasingly important mechanism [...]
Will Labour’s planning bill actually get Britain building again? November 19, 2024 The UK's planning system is in need of a radical overhaul. Will Labour's Planning and Infrastructure bill deliver? Sam Richards takes a look.
Can the government tax its way to a building boom? October 26, 2024 Labour have big plans for house building and infrastructure so what can we expect on property taxes in the Budget? Tim Sarson has the answers Cut through the post-election chatter about black holes and freebies and there is one theme that keeps coming up as a top political priority. Building things. I can’t remember a [...]