At last week’s annual Resi Conference held in Wales, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis touched on the challenge that is the housing supply conundrum.
On kicking off the day’s proceedings, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis mentioned Britain’s challenge to both protect its greenbelts but also cater for the surging demand for new housing.
In his speech Lewis announced that via Build to Rent funding deals 2,000 new private rental homes will be provided to Liverpool, Durham and London.
As the day came to a close, the conference focused on the housing supply conundrum.
David Cowans of one of the UK’s largest property development companies- Places for People, stated that those who oppose NIMBYS (Not In My Back Yard), the YIMBYS ( Yes in My Back Yard,) deserve ‘ a place at the table’ in property planning debates.
He also promoted the involvement of a new-build’s future owners at the time of development. Then when it comes to the time of debating the development as well as the having the presence of the project’s opposition, “In the debate about the planning you have the people that want to live there being passionate about wanting to live there…so it’s a much more democratic debate.”
In reference for the place making challenge faced by the UK, David said: “If we are going to attack the number we need, to get the planning we need, to get the land we need, we are all going to have to do things differently.”
He also stated that despite some opinions there is in fact a lot of greenbelt land that is suitable for development. David said: “Nobody has got a problem with the idea of a greenbelt, what I have a problem with is the shibboleth it’s become, that anything inside this greenbelt can’t ever be built on, we can’t sustain that.”
The chair, Mark Easton, mentioned the important place this debate has in people’s lives of refusing to go down the ‘American route’ of miles of endless developments.
Richard Blakeway Deputy Mayor of Housing pinpointed an approaching milestone, the 6th of January. The date where London’s population will be at its highest in 2000 years, illustrating the challenge ahead regarding the needed infrastructure for the city’s capital.
The ‘Supply Conundrum’ debate hosted a panel comprised of David Cowans of Places for People, Richard Blakeway Deputy for Housing, Land and Property of the Greater London Authority and Tom Bloxham Chairman of Urban Splash.
The eighth annual RESI conference, hosted by BBC Home Editor Mark Easton, held countless other debates encountering the residential sector.
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