Policy Exchange is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Blakeway as Chief Adviser to its new Housing and Urban Regeneration Unit. Richard was Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property at the Greater London Authority for eight years, overseeing the Mayor of London’s housing strategy, funding and land regeneration.
He is a former special adviser in the Prime Minister’s policy unit, a former trustee of the Chartered Institute of Housing and is a board director of the Homes and Communities Agency. He advises a number of property organisations on housing and regeneration.
Richard said:
“There is a real sense of momentum behind solving the UK’s housing crisis. Government has put housing at the top of its domestic agenda and the industry itself is starting to address thorny issues holding back supply. It feels as if many parts of the system are, by and large, starting to move in the same direction.
“Yet the challenge still remains colossal. The building rates required haven’t been seen for generations and that’s before we get into what should be built and where.
“That’s why I’m delighted to be advising Policy Exchange on a programme which will challenge what more needs to be done on housing in a way that is both practical and pragmatic. I want to bring together people with experience and fresh ideas to find solutions and explore the experiences of other countries and cities which face similar housing problems to the UK. We will champion great design and style to shape and enhance our built environment – and so strengthen public support for new homes.”