Today, 1 October, sees Steve McAdam join the LCA team as Senior Advisor. I’ve known Steve for over 20 years, and we’ve always worked well together when collaborating on clients.  Unfortunately, it’s not always like that.  Some agencies you don’t like working with, some you kind of just get on with, and some you really enjoy....

Hey small spender, spend a little on London? Last week, the LCA team attended London Real Estate Forum (LREF), as we do every year. While last year's event was characterised by impatience for a Labour Government, strikingly so for a sector not known for its left-wing politics, this year was more muted in tone....

In a dramatic shift that has reshaped the British political landscape, the Conservative Party finds itself navigating unfamiliar territory as it prepares for its upcoming conference in Birmingham this weekend. After 14 years in power, the Conservatives now face the daunting task of reinventing themselves as an opposition party following a disastrous defeat in the recent general election....

Ticket to build? As part of its 'brownfield first' approach to development, the government has announced plans to support and expedite approval of urban sites like car parks. Delightfully described as a 'Brownfield Passport', these reforms would mean that, where residential proposals meet design and quality standards, the default answer is yes. This is all part of a government effort to speed up the delivery of apartments in busy cities - the quickest way to meet their ambitious housing targets....

Labour gathers in Liverpool this weekend for their Annual Conference and after July’s thumping election win, few would begrudge a mood of jubilation up in Merseyside. After all, this is the first party conference with Labour in power since 2009, and the party rank and file have much to celebrate after 14 long years in opposition....

When home is a health hazard Tragedies like the death of two-year old Awaab Ishak have brought the topic of housing and health into sharp relief in recent years. It's now well-understood that poor quality homes, ridden with damp and mould, are not good for our health - and in the worst cases can even kill. ...

Right to Buy: a legacy revisited Once again, the Right to Buy policy finds itself back in the headlines, prompting Peter and me to engage in yet another spirited debate on housing policy. Peter sees Right to Buy as a pathway for individuals to escape state reliance and secure their families' future, albeit one in need of reform, and he remains sceptical of the impact that Labour's expected reforms will have....

Spot the difference, take 2 Last week, Peter and I discussed how different MHCLG really is from the Gove DHLUC years. Today we have seen the Department make the choice to scrap a bit of Conservative policy which was out for consultation under the old regime....

Spot the difference Now that the Labour Government's honeymoon period seems to be all but over, cut short in its prime by the right-wing riots that brought us crashing back to reality this month, we have chosen this week to ask the perennial political question. Aren't politicians all the same?...

Guess who's back in the house After a week spent volunteering at a well-known festival in Winchester (to raise money for Shelter - you can chip in at their website if you'd like to), and another week to recover, I am thrilled to be back and headlining this week's SHW....

A green and pleasant... belt? Generations-old battle lines up and down England’s Green Belt are being reinforced on an almost daily basis at the moment as experts, the industry and the media digest the complexity behind the new Government’s house-building goals. ...

Will the business of running the country now distract the government from its housing agenda? Up to now our new government has had a pretty free run at a rolling out its agenda, and pleasingly for this newsletter (and the housing crisis) much of it has been focused on housing and development. ...