Justice for the Young
The gap between young and old has become the defining political and economic issue of our time, argues a new essay collection from the Centre for Policy Studies ‘Justice for the Young’ sets out the staggering extent of the challenge facing the country in paying for an ageing population while delivering a better life for… View Article
A Pane in the Neck: How to improve building regulations
Building is a troublesome business, and for as long as we have had urban life, we have had restrictions on what and how people can build. The oldest extant British regulation dates from 1189, but building restrictions undoubtedly existed a millennium earlier under the Roman Empire. Unlike the planning system, which dates only to the… View Article
Opportunities for Special Development Orders
Special development orders (SDOs) grant permission for specified kinds of development in a given area. The Government can designate an SDO without fresh legislation. Though used successfully in the Cardiff Bay area in the 1990s, they remain in relative obscurity. However, the powers to designate them have not lapsed. SDOs could never be a normal… View Article
The Case for Housebuilding
The report was updated on 24th January, following publication, to correct discrepancies in some of the data. In recent months, housing has become an increasingly contentious issue A major new CPS report, ‘The Case for Housebuilding’, takes on and demolishes many of the most common myths about Britain’s housing crisis It shows that we have… View Article
Giving Back Control
Housing has recently become one of the most controversial issues in British politics. The Government has recommitted to its target of building 300,000 homes per year. But it has also promised to do more to give local communities control over the planning process. A new report by the Centre for Policy Studies examines the leading… View Article
The Right to Own
Right to Buy was one of the most transformative policies of the 20th century, making the dream of home ownership a reality for millions. Since its introduction in the 1980s, approximately 4.5 million social tenants took up the opportunity to buy their homes from the state. But the numbers have fallen off a cliff, hitting a low of… View Article
Homes for Heroes
New CPS report is calling for changes to help key workers get their foot on the property ladder, and repay them for their efforts during the pandemic.
Briefing Note: Housing and Immigration
In this note, we argue that the Government could use the Planning Bill to incorporate net migration in housing estimates in a more transparent way. This will improve both policy and political debate around housing, not least by highlighting the hypocrisy of those who argue that we should both relax migration controls and build fewer homes…. View Article
Help to Build: An emergency plan to support housing supply
The Centre for Policy Studies, Britain’s leading centre-right think tank, has developed an emergency plan to support the housing sector. ‘Help to Build’ – written by David Cameron’s former chief housing adviser – would help all developers to weather the storm, ensure continuing housing supply while saving smaller and medium sized developers from ruin and having to make hardworking employees redundant.
Stamping Down
The Government is currently considering whether or not to reduce stamp duty in the coming months ahead of any election. This new report by Alex Morton argues that stamp duty on homes is a tax on mobility and aspiration, and calls for drastic cuts.
From Rent to Own
The UK needs an ownership revolution. ‘From Rent to Own’ proposes that for a single year, the Government should turn the Capital Gains Tax payable by a landlord on sale of a rented home into a rebate shared between landlord and tenant.
Down with Deposits: The Case for Rental Insurance
Up-front deposits mean renters lose out on accruing interest on their money, which they can also struggle to get back. A deposit replacement insurance system would insure landlords against damage or missed rent while allowing tenants to avoid borrowing.
Homes for Everyone
Chris Philp, MP for Croydon South, proposes major reform of the planning system to increase housebuilding and promote home ownership.
Housing: The Moment of Maximum Opportunity
CPS report sets out recommendations to meet the UK’s urgent housing need.
What’s behind the Housing Crisis?
125,000 homes were completed in England for 2014-15, but 320,000 homes are needed annually to relieve housing strains.
