Many of us thought Brick By Brick was a great new way to deliver quality housing. Were we wrong?

摘要

The demise of Brick By Brick is not only a misfortune for all those directly concerned and for the citizens of Croydon, it also raises major questions for very many of us across the housing industry. Brick By Brick had a highly respected leadership, employed many talented people, had the backing of a forward-looking council and looked as if it was going to pave the way for a fresh way of creating much-needed housing of high design quality. Yet something went wrong, as it seems to have done on a more modest scale with other housing development companies sponsored by councils. Because so many are looking to this model, it is crucial to gain as clear an understanding as possible as to why it failed.