What to make of the seemingly endless 'reforms' emanating from Whitehall in the teeth of this pandemic? I can't comment on the proposals for local government reorganisation (I'll leave that to The MJ) save to say I know enough to realise it will be utterly exhausting. But I am seriously struggling with the recently published Planning for the Future White Paper. My view, and that of most of my colleagues in the property industry, is please do not attempt planning reform unless you are going to do it properly - which this white paper almost certainly does not. In any case (as the Local Government Association and others have wearily pointed out) rodding the planning drains will only ever improve the flow, not the quantity of new homes - a figure determined by the laws of supply and demand, not political wishful thinking. And - I'm wailing now - why introduce more uncertainty now of all times? We do have other, rather pressing, preoccupations right this minute. I was always taught that you should fix the roof while the sun is shining. Clearly I'm a bit old fashioned. Trust me, when this pandemic is over the housing crisis will still be with us, after all, it's been several decades in the making.
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