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Narrated by James Marriott
Whisper it, but is Westminster finally awake to how regulation stifles the housing supply? I ask as Rishi Sunak’s government announced this week a relaxation of European Union nutrient laws that it reckons will result in 100,000 additional homes by 2030. Instead of a knee-jerk cry of environmental doom, Labour surprised me – by slamming the Tories for not building enough!
It’s not a consensus for serious planning reform, but it’s a start. And if you glance globally, the power of bipartisanship on housing can be a game-changer. Look at New Zealand, which has struggled with rising housing costs since the financial crisis, made worse by insufficient housebuilding. In recent years, its political class has taken drastic action, with big reforms to densify their largest
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