Housing & Planning
Latest Housing & Planning Publications
Rethinking the Planning System for the 21st Century
Jack AireyThe planning system has little relevance to the country’s 21st century liberalised economy and society facing continuous change. It increases the costs of housing, living and doing business. Although the planning system has regularly been tinkered with in the past few decades, its fundamental principles are the same as when it was established in 1947 as part of a government program to establish a command-and-control economy.
To remain a competitive economy and to address the country’s housing shortage, the planning system is in urgent need of wholesale reform. This report puts forwards a blueprint for doing that.
Revitalising Key Worker Housing
Jack Airey and Sir Robin WalesMany of the most valued and important frontline public sector workers like police officers, teachers, NHS staff and firefighters are struggling to live in or near the community they serve. They often face acute housing affordability challenges which force them to commute from ever further away, particularly in the rental sector and particularly in London and the South East.
In this report we argue the Key Worker Housing initiative should be revitalised as part of reforms to Affordable Housing policy. The Government should announce a new policy programme to increase the stock of homes available to Key Workers struggling with housing costs and update the Key Worker eligibility criteria.
The Duty to Build Beautiful
Jack AireyIn his first speech as Prime Minister on domestic policy, Boris Johnson said that his Government will, “emphasise the need, the duty, to build beautiful homes that people actually want to live in, and being sensitive to local concerns.”
As the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission enters its second phase – a final report is due by the end of the year – we are publishing this essay collection to provide new and practical ideas for building more beautiful homes and places. The collection brings together thinkers from law, finance, energy and environment, architecture, property, planning and housing.
Latest Housing & Planning Blogs
Can we force developers to sell homes at a discount?
Related Content Photo Credit: Images Money The Conservative and Labour manifestos make significant pledges on housing policy. The focus of the Conservatives is supporting people into home-ownership, while the centrepiece of Labour’s manifesto is the pledge that local...
The feasibility of building 150,000 social homes a year
Related Content The Conservative and Labour manifestos make significant pledges on housing policy. The focus of the Conservatives is supporting people into home-ownership, while the centrepiece of Labour’s manifesto is the pledge that local authorities build many more...
Reviving high streets through planning reform
Changes to the planning system can make it easier for high streets to adapt to prevailing trends in how we live, work and shop.
Latest Housing & Planning News
Policy Exchange sets out major planning reforms
A major new Policy Exchange report has called for a complete overhaul of the planning system by the Government. The report was covered in The Times whose article said Policy Exchange’s proposals were being “seriously looked at” by the No 10 policy unit. It was also featured in The Sun, ConservativeHome and on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Boris Johnson sets out the vision for his Premiership
Boris Johnson set out his vision for the United Kingdom on the steps of Downing Street yesterday – in the course of which he embraced many of the ideas championed by Policy Exchange in our series of policy proposals for the next Prime Minister.
Building Beautiful Places puts Prince’s vision into practice
A day after HRH the Prince of Wales issued a call for action for “the creation and regeneration of genuinely beautiful places” – in a report that cited our research five times – Policy Exchange published a report that puts the Prince’s vision into practice to help solve the housing crisis.
Latest Housing & Planning Events
Upcoming Events
- Thursday, 13 June, 2019
14:00 - 15:00
With Gillian Keegan MP, Sir Oliver Letwin MP
Venue: Policy Exchange
Address:
- Monday, 3 June, 2019
9:00 - 10:00
Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP gave a speech at Policy Exchange sharing ideas on how to cultivate stronger communities and help people onto the housing ladder, including the possibility of drawing from pension pots for a deposit.
- Thursday, 25 April, 2019
13:00 - 14:00
A panel discussion to consider whether the Government should support a modern generation of New Towns.
- Tuesday, 2 April, 2019
13:30 - 14:30
How can more people be provided a beautiful place to call home? Pioneered by the work of John Ruskin, British Socialists have long had a vision for answering this question. In this panel debate we asked what that vision is today – and how beauty can be for the many, not the few.
- Monday, 19 November, 2018
18:00 - 20:30
Architects should “stop being so defensive” and try to design houses that turn Nimbys into Slimbys (“something lovely in my backyard”), said Kit Malthouse MP, Housing Minister, at our Building More, Building Beautiful Conference – which brought together architects, planners, housebuilders politicians and journalists to discuss design and style in housebuilding. He praised Policy Exchange for “seizing the zeitgeist yet again”.
- Wednesday, 14 November, 2018
18:00 - 19:30
The Inaugural Colin Amery Memorial Lecture on “The Fabric of the City” delivered by Sir Roger Scruton.
- Thursday, 1 November, 2018
12:30 - 14:00
As part of Building Beautiful Month, the Syrian architect and author Marwa Al-Sabouni spoke at Policy Exchange on “The Loss of Home”. Marwa appeared in conversation with Sir Roger Scruton and was introduced by Tom Tugendhat MP.
- Monday, 2 July, 2018
9:00 - 10:30
The new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government set out his priorities for making the housing market work. In his first speech on housing Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP outlined his vision for strengthening communities and building the homes Britain needs.
- Thursday, 7 September, 2017
18:00 - 19:30
A discussion with John Godfrey (Former Director of Policy at No 10), Fraser Nelson (Editor of the Spectator), Terrie Alafat (The Chartered Institute of Housing), Phillip Barnes (Barratt Developments Plc), and Susan Emmett (Head of Policy Exchange’s Housing Unit).
Venue: Institute of Mechanical Engineers
Address:
