You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Morning Briefing: Conservatives must take on nimbys, says minister
Minister says government should challenge homeowners who block developments, a high-rise fire is blamed on cladding, and other housing news
In the news
The government must challenge homeowners who block developments to win back younger voters from Labour, a Conservative minister has said.
Chief secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss made the comments to the Resolution Foundation thinktank yesterday, according to The Times.
Ms Truss described homeowners trying to protect their property prices as “the worst vested interest we’ve got” and called for a loosening of planning laws.
It comes as a number of papers, as well as the BBC, cover a report out today from the National Audit Office (NAO) criticising the government’s housing delivery plan.
The NAO said ministers are unable to demonstrate that they are meeting housing need effectively and that the government’s method for calculating the number of new homes needed has weaknesses.
Meanwhile, The Guardian is among those to cover a new report out today from thinktank Civitas, which claims that nearly a million more young adults are living with their parents compared with 20 years ago.
Elsewhere, Building magazine notes that a high-rise fire in Melbourne is being blamed by firefighters on aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding similar to that used at Grenfell Tower.
The Conversation website carries a piece about the fire, in which no-one was killed, and the dangers of ACM today.
In other news, cafe chain Pret a Manger’s charitable foundation is to invest £200,000 in a homeless hostel, writes The Guardian.
It will refurbish rooms at the hostel for people who will also work in Pret’s shops, as well as give them advice on moving into private accommodation.
The Daily Mirror runs a case study feature about a rough sleeper, while LeedsLive has a piece examining homelessness in the city.
Politics Home runs an article today reporting that the minister for mental health, Jackie Doyle-Price, has said “it’s a no-brainer that housing and mental health are inextricably linked”.
ITV has also produced a write-up of its programme last night focusing on Universal Credit.
And finally, the Church Times runs an interesting feature about the history of the church’s involvement in housing.
On social media
The aforementioned Pret a Manger story has sparked some discussion between Melanie Rees, head of policy and external affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), and Clare Powell, chair of the CIH’s policy advisory committee:
It’s an interesting response to London’s particular housing crisis but people potentially face the double-whammy of losing their job and their home. That would have been the case at Port Sunlight, New Lanark and Saltaire too - but I used to think we’d moved on from that.
— Melanie Rees FCIH (@MelanieReesCIH)It's an interesting response to London's particular housing crisis but people potentially face the double-whammy of losing their job and their home. That would have been the case at Port Sunlight, New Lanark and Saltaire too - but I used to think we'd moved on from that.
— Melanie Rees FCIH (@MelanieReesCIH) February 8, 2019
You’re right. And evidencing the impact on employers and the economy is part of making the case to government for investment in truly affordable housing.
— Melanie Rees FCIH (@MelanieReesCIH)You're right. And evidencing the impact on employers and the economy is part of making the case to government for investment in truly affordable housing.
— Melanie Rees FCIH (@MelanieReesCIH) February 8, 2019
