Housing UK news/2015-2021

The new enclosure: how land commissions can lead the fight against urban land-grabs, Dec 9, 2021^[1]

• Tragic waste of green fields as undeveloped brownfield hits new high, CPRE research reveals, Nov 26^[2]
• Housing Beyond Markets and State, John Myers and Dr Pawda Tjoa, Nov 17^[3] "...we need to develop a community-powered approach to planning and housing"

• There’s a climate emergency, and the planning system is not helping, CPRE (Oct 18, 2021) — The climate emergency is the most pressing challenge of our times. With the UK keen to trumpet its climate action credentials, our planning system is sending out very mixed messages

• Five numbers that lay bare the mammoth effort needed to insulate Britain's homes, Sep 14^[4]
• New £4 million fund launched to increase community led affordable housing, Aug 23^[5]

• Wales set to build 20,000 low-carbon social homes, BBC News (Aug 04, 2021)

References

Failure to revise planning rules are fuelling England's climate disaster, Jul 26^[1]

• Brighton-based student housing co-op secures first property, Jul 24^[2]
• A cooperative model of homes for students, collectively managed and at affordable rents. SEASALT in Brighton shows the way. Jul 20^[3]
• The six tests: the system that campaigners are using to assess the new planning bill, Jul 6^[4] The coalition of 22 organizations say passing these tests would mean that the plans laid out in the government's future planning bill make for the nature-friendly, low-carbon, well-designed, affordable homes and places of the future that nature and people deserve. The tests include measures across six key areas: Local democracy, Affordable homes, Climate emergency, Nature, Heritage and Health.
• Time is running out for realistic climate commitments, Climate Change Committee, Jun 24...^[5]UK Climate news 2021. Sustained reductions in emissions require sustained Government leadership, underpinned by a strong Net Zero Strategy:

• A Net Zero Test would ensure that all Government policy, including planning decisions, is compatible with UK climate targets.
• The big cross-cutting challenges of public engagement, fair funding and local delivery must be tackled.

• Campaigns… and how (hopefully) to win them, CPRE Kent, Jun 21^[6]

References

Proposed anti-democratic planning reforms have met with universal condemnation, May 19^[1]

• Johnson's planning laws an 'utter disaster', say countryside campaigners, May 11^[2]
• Finally, a proper battle for the future of our countryside, Joss Garman, May 6^[3]
• New campaigning alliance and map launched, Apr 28^[4]
• £150 million funding for self build, Apr 24^[5]
• Sounding the alarm on disappearing natural beauty. CPRE's latest research shows that England's Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are under increasing threat from badly-planned housing. Apr 22^[6]

References

• Shared assets: inclusiveness, agroecology and municipal ownership in land use, Kate Swade, Renewal, Mar 29^[1]

Involving people in planning will help us build a better city, Claire Harding, Mar 2^[2]

• Pressure on the Green Belt has quadrupled since 2013, Feb 25^[3]
• The government's relentless push for development is destroying rural England, Ros Coward, Feb 17^[4]
• In Glasgow's Maryhill area, locals demand an eco-housing and sustainable energy development. Will the Council listen? Jan 23^[5]
• "All homes and businesses will have to meet rigorous new energy efficiency standards to lower energy consumption and bills, helping to protect the environment." Gov.uk. Jan 19, 2021^[6]
• Coalition of 18 organizations tells government to rethink planning changes, Jan 15^[7] "In recent decades, too many housing developments have been designed for car-dependency, with lots of road and parking space. This makes it really hard for children or anyone else to get around in ways that are healthy for themselves and the environment. Instead, we should locate and design new developments to make it safe and easy to walk or cycle to schools and workplaces, shops, public transport, parks and open spaces. We should plan for healthy living, for ourselves and for our children's future." Sarah Mitchell,Cycling UK

References

Housing: Formula for locating new homes revised after Tory backlash, Dec 16, 2020^[1]

• Councillors revolt over government plans to dismantle planning system, CPRE Kent, Dec 10^[2]
• Gravesham district launches website in response to Green Belt threat, CPRE Kent, Nov 30^[3]
• Enough brownfield land for 1.3 million new homes, CPRE report reveals, Nov 4^[4]
• "If we are to fulfil our Government's commitments on levelling up, carbon net-zero, housing, infrastructure, nature recovery and more, we need a process to prioritise the many pressures on our green and pleasant land." edie.net^[5] Oct 28
• Private Sufficiency, Public Luxury: Land is the Key to the Transformation of Society, George Monbiot, October^[6]
• Theresa May attacks 'ill-conceived' planning reforms,^[7] Oct 8

References

• New Government Proposals impose 1532 houses a year on Teignbridge, Devon, Summary of our concerns,^[1] Sep 22

CPRE Kent supports county MPs in attack on 'inherently unreasonable' new housing targets,^[2] Sep 13

• The final straw? Tory heartlands in revolt over planning reforms,^[3] Aug 23
• Planning reforms are bad news for communities and environment,^[4] Aug 6
• The mini-budget shows one thing: this government is still on the side of the rich, Christine Berry,^[5] Jul 8

References

Jun 2020 Britain still failing on climate crisis

Britain still failing on climate crisis, warn advisers^[1]

"The whole thing is run by the government like a Dad's Army operation." Lord Deben.

Surface transport emissions in 2019 were at around the same levels that they were in 2010. That reflects an increase in demand and a move towards larger vehicles offsetting improvements in efficiency....Sustainable transport UK Although buildings emissions have fallen 14% from 2008 to 2018, the sector is not well placed for the transition to zero emissions. New buildings, which will still be standing in 2050, continue to be built with fossil fuel heating. In fact, there are over a million more homes requiring zero-carbon retrofits now than when the Climate Change Act was passed. The uptake of low-carbon heating systems is almost negligible (less than 30,000 installations in 2019, whereas over a million a year will be needed by the early 2030s...^[2]Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England

• Garden villages locking-in car dependency, says report,^[3] Jun 16

References

CPRE Kent backs Sevenoaks District Council's decision to begin judicial review proceedings in its challenge to the Planning Inspectorate,^[1] May 11

• This Pandemic Bears Gifts – new possibilities for economic transition,^[2] Apr 22
• Government plans "to bring Britain's planning system into the 21st century"^[3] Planning for the future, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, March 2020. Para. 16, p 9 & para 22, p 11, refer to targets on decarbonisation, but no indication that communities themselves will be able to democratically influence amounts of new housing for their areas, and in relation to local climate reduction targets or environmental carrying capacity of their areas. Mar 12
• Gravesham, Kent residents form group to fight council's housing proposals, CPRE Kent,^[4] Feb 10
• Maidstone (Kent councillors of all political colours call on Government to ease housing targets,^[5] Jan 28
• New UK housing 'dominated by roads'^[6] "... too many highways engineers are still approving roads that do not fully account for pedestrians and cyclists." Prof Matthew Carmona, University College London. Government poll suggests 76% of people think that for the sake of the environment, everyone should reduce their driving. Jan 21
• Sevenoaks (Kent) sticks to its guns and refuses to withdraw draft Local Plan from examination, CPRE Kent^[7] Council leader Peter Fleming: "It is clear to me the way this has been handled calls into question the integrity of the whole Plan-making system in this country…

"To call into question an evidence-led approach comes to the root of our concerns with the actions of the inspector. If we are not to follow the evidence to make our Plan then the government may just as well dictate how many homes an area should have and then pick sites, we need to put an end to the thinly veiled charade that Local Plans are in any way locally led." Jan 20

References

The housing crisis is at the heart of our national nervous breakdown, John Harris,^[1] Oct 28, 2019

• Sir David Attenborough calls for new planning laws to protect nature,^[2] Oct 7, 2019
• More than a quarter of UK mammals face extinction,^[3] Oct 3, 2019
• Why building 300,000 houses per year won't solve the housing crisis – and what will,^[4] Aug 28, 2019

'Filled to bursting with trees, woods and nature reserves': greening the Green Belt by Friends of the Earth Innovation team,^[5] Jun 12

• Green Belt: the development pressure ramps up again,^[6] Feb 4
• If we value rural Britain, we can't build houses all over it, Simon Jenkins, Aug 6, 2018...^[7]
• Kent targeted to take huge housing hit, Sep 27, 2017...^[8]
• Households in southern England urged to save water after dry winter, May 5, 2017...^[9]
• Set up to fail, November 16, 2015...^[10]

References