Eddie Millar
@emillar.bsky.social
Policy Adviser at the Royal Town Planning Institute | planning, housing, nature, govt | socialism or barbarism | Pompey fan | All views my own
Reposted by Eddie Millar
How can we make make sure the next wave of New Towns are flexible, adaptive, bottom-up and meet communities' changing needs?
We - @rtpiplanners.bsky.social - have just launched an Invitation to Tender for research answering these questions.
📣Budget is £35,000, deadline for proposals is 24 Feb📣.
We - @rtpiplanners.bsky.social - have just launched an Invitation to Tender for research answering these questions.
📣Budget is £35,000, deadline for proposals is 24 Feb📣.
RTPI tenders
This page contains the latest invitations to tender from the RTPI.
www.rtpi.org.uk
February 4, 2025 at 12:05 PM
How can we make make sure the next wave of New Towns are flexible, adaptive, bottom-up and meet communities' changing needs?
We - @rtpiplanners.bsky.social - have just launched an Invitation to Tender for research answering these questions.
📣Budget is £35,000, deadline for proposals is 24 Feb📣.
We - @rtpiplanners.bsky.social - have just launched an Invitation to Tender for research answering these questions.
📣Budget is £35,000, deadline for proposals is 24 Feb📣.
Reposted by Eddie Millar
"We are optimistic about the return of universal strategic planning, and believe it holds a lot of potential in delivering positive outcomes for communities."
Read Eddie Millar's assessment of recent #planningreforms:
www.rtpi.org.uk/blog/2025/ja...
Read Eddie Millar's assessment of recent #planningreforms:
www.rtpi.org.uk/blog/2025/ja...
Eddie Millar: Co-ordinating land use through strategic planning
We are optimistic about the return of universal strategic planning, and believe it holds a lot of potential in delivering positive outcomes for communities.
www.rtpi.org.uk
January 8, 2025 at 4:37 PM
"We are optimistic about the return of universal strategic planning, and believe it holds a lot of potential in delivering positive outcomes for communities."
Read Eddie Millar's assessment of recent #planningreforms:
www.rtpi.org.uk/blog/2025/ja...
Read Eddie Millar's assessment of recent #planningreforms:
www.rtpi.org.uk/blog/2025/ja...
Reposted by Eddie Millar
RTPI Early Career Research Grants are funding three new projects in 2024-25.
Congratulations to
⭐ @hannah-grove.bsky.social
⭐ Dr Meadhbh Maguire
⭐ @morphetminor.bsky.social
Read more about the projects here:
www.rtpi.org.uk/news/2025/ja...
Congratulations to
⭐ @hannah-grove.bsky.social
⭐ Dr Meadhbh Maguire
⭐ @morphetminor.bsky.social
Read more about the projects here:
www.rtpi.org.uk/news/2025/ja...
RTPI Early Career Research Grants to fund three new projects
In August 2024, the RTPI issued a call to early career researchers to submit research proposals for an ECR Grant to fund a year-long planning projects
www.rtpi.org.uk
January 10, 2025 at 12:32 PM
RTPI Early Career Research Grants are funding three new projects in 2024-25.
Congratulations to
⭐ @hannah-grove.bsky.social
⭐ Dr Meadhbh Maguire
⭐ @morphetminor.bsky.social
Read more about the projects here:
www.rtpi.org.uk/news/2025/ja...
Congratulations to
⭐ @hannah-grove.bsky.social
⭐ Dr Meadhbh Maguire
⭐ @morphetminor.bsky.social
Read more about the projects here:
www.rtpi.org.uk/news/2025/ja...
Reposted by Eddie Millar
Join us in-person or online for the Nathaniel Lichfield Lecture on prefigurative planning next month.
The annual event is free for members and will run in a hybrid format. Book your place now:
www.rtpi.org.uk/events/2025/...
The annual event is free for members and will run in a hybrid format. Book your place now:
www.rtpi.org.uk/events/2025/...
January 13, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Join us in-person or online for the Nathaniel Lichfield Lecture on prefigurative planning next month.
The annual event is free for members and will run in a hybrid format. Book your place now:
www.rtpi.org.uk/events/2025/...
The annual event is free for members and will run in a hybrid format. Book your place now:
www.rtpi.org.uk/events/2025/...
Reposted by Eddie Millar
'Housing numbers are important, but we need to capture the imagination of the public and focus on delivering better places', writes Hal Mellen (Urban Designer, ADAM Architecture) in this guest blog
www.tcpa.org.uk/its-time-to-be-visionary-the-overarching-message-from-the-2024-tcpa-annual-conference/
www.tcpa.org.uk/its-time-to-be-visionary-the-overarching-message-from-the-2024-tcpa-annual-conference/
It’s time to be visionary: The overarching message from the 2024 TCPA Annual Conference - Town and Country Planning Association
Housing numbers are important, but we need to capture the imagination of the public and focus on delivering better places This guest blog was written by Hal Mellen, Urban Designer…
www.tcpa.org.uk
December 19, 2024 at 11:36 AM
'Housing numbers are important, but we need to capture the imagination of the public and focus on delivering better places', writes Hal Mellen (Urban Designer, ADAM Architecture) in this guest blog
www.tcpa.org.uk/its-time-to-be-visionary-the-overarching-message-from-the-2024-tcpa-annual-conference/
www.tcpa.org.uk/its-time-to-be-visionary-the-overarching-message-from-the-2024-tcpa-annual-conference/
Reposted by Eddie Millar
"Back then people didn't have deal with NIMBY's". I hear that a lot.
The first ever National Grid involved negotiations with 222k landowners and tenants. The Central Electricity Board appointed thousands of officers to persuade. Astonishingly, only 600 cases (0.27%) needed compulsory purchase.
The first ever National Grid involved negotiations with 222k landowners and tenants. The Central Electricity Board appointed thousands of officers to persuade. Astonishingly, only 600 cases (0.27%) needed compulsory purchase.
December 10, 2024 at 5:20 AM
"Back then people didn't have deal with NIMBY's". I hear that a lot.
The first ever National Grid involved negotiations with 222k landowners and tenants. The Central Electricity Board appointed thousands of officers to persuade. Astonishingly, only 600 cases (0.27%) needed compulsory purchase.
The first ever National Grid involved negotiations with 222k landowners and tenants. The Central Electricity Board appointed thousands of officers to persuade. Astonishingly, only 600 cases (0.27%) needed compulsory purchase.
Reposted by Eddie Millar
We need well-funded local authorities, able to be proactive with planning powers to deliver critical infrastructure; stop private developers & land owners seizing publicly created value; & coordinate the delivery of housing + services + transport in places that serve communities.
December 12, 2024 at 3:30 PM
We need well-funded local authorities, able to be proactive with planning powers to deliver critical infrastructure; stop private developers & land owners seizing publicly created value; & coordinate the delivery of housing + services + transport in places that serve communities.
Reposted by Eddie Millar
Planning is being portrayed as an obstacle to meeting housing needs, but the reality is that good planning is our main solution when it comes to addressing the critical challenges we face; but we need the government to make this possible.
December 12, 2024 at 3:30 PM
Planning is being portrayed as an obstacle to meeting housing needs, but the reality is that good planning is our main solution when it comes to addressing the critical challenges we face; but we need the government to make this possible.
Reposted by Eddie Millar
New planning framework out today - excitingly with some changes from the version the Government was consulting on over the summer (🧵thread below).
December 12, 2024 at 2:31 PM
New planning framework out today - excitingly with some changes from the version the Government was consulting on over the summer (🧵thread below).
This speaks to a conflict in planning's 'purpose' - should planning (for homes) follow demand, as the new standard method proposes, but which conflicts with reducing regional equality + promoting growth outside south east; or should planning not follow demand, and direct growth to regional hubs?
A shift towards building in unaffordable areas in the South, such as London and Cambridge, means Midlands and Northern cities lose out from these changes to the Standard Method - and cities like Birmingham and Manchester remain key to any plausible strategy to stronger UK growth.
December 12, 2024 at 2:40 PM
This speaks to a conflict in planning's 'purpose' - should planning (for homes) follow demand, as the new standard method proposes, but which conflicts with reducing regional equality + promoting growth outside south east; or should planning not follow demand, and direct growth to regional hubs?
Reposted by Eddie Millar
[NEW] How can metro mayors transform England’s towns and cities?
Our report sets out how mayors can play a leading role in the regeneration of disused, deprived and deindustrialised urban areas www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Our report sets out how mayors can play a leading role in the regeneration of disused, deprived and deindustrialised urban areas www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Devolution and urban regeneration | Institute for Government
More mayoral development corporations are key to getting Britain building.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
December 12, 2024 at 10:07 AM
[NEW] How can metro mayors transform England’s towns and cities?
Our report sets out how mayors can play a leading role in the regeneration of disused, deprived and deindustrialised urban areas www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Our report sets out how mayors can play a leading role in the regeneration of disused, deprived and deindustrialised urban areas www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Reposted by Eddie Millar
over 10,000 civil service jobs will be cut under ministers’ plans to find savings of 5% to their departments in the spending review
ministers are looking at rolling out voluntary redundancy programmes across a range of departments
scoop via @lucyfisher.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/3da3...
ministers are looking at rolling out voluntary redundancy programmes across a range of departments
scoop via @lucyfisher.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/3da3...
Financial TimesFinancial Times
News, analysis and opinion from the Financial Times on the latest in markets, economics and politics
FT.com
December 11, 2024 at 6:24 PM
over 10,000 civil service jobs will be cut under ministers’ plans to find savings of 5% to their departments in the spending review
ministers are looking at rolling out voluntary redundancy programmes across a range of departments
scoop via @lucyfisher.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/3da3...
ministers are looking at rolling out voluntary redundancy programmes across a range of departments
scoop via @lucyfisher.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/3da3...
Reposted by Eddie Millar
These statistics are crucial to a proper understanding of the current housing debate and the case for social housing - the state is spending *more than ever* on housing but it's spending it on benefits not bricks and mortar.
Craziest housing stat of the week: The state spends MORE today on housing than it did in 1976.
The key difference: we used to build council houses, now we spend it on subsidising private landlords.
Our housing system is completely broken.
The key difference: we used to build council houses, now we spend it on subsidising private landlords.
Our housing system is completely broken.
December 12, 2024 at 10:23 AM
These statistics are crucial to a proper understanding of the current housing debate and the case for social housing - the state is spending *more than ever* on housing but it's spending it on benefits not bricks and mortar.
Reposted by Eddie Millar
Just, and I cannot stress this enough, build HS2 in full.
December 10, 2024 at 7:36 AM
Just, and I cannot stress this enough, build HS2 in full.
Under supply is evidently something we need to tackle, but discussions around house prices must include increased access to mortgage credit, which has had huge implications for housing as an asset. Some good work on this by Josh Ryan-Collins + others.
I'm in the 'build more houses' camp. But it's still worth pointing out that real house prices peaked in 2007, which was also the time when household debt relative to income peaked. Supply is a problem, but it's access to credit and willingness to borrow that's bid up the value of the housing stock.
December 9, 2024 at 1:13 PM
Under supply is evidently something we need to tackle, but discussions around house prices must include increased access to mortgage credit, which has had huge implications for housing as an asset. Some good work on this by Josh Ryan-Collins + others.
Reposted by Eddie Millar
I'm in the 'build more houses' camp. But it's still worth pointing out that real house prices peaked in 2007, which was also the time when household debt relative to income peaked. Supply is a problem, but it's access to credit and willingness to borrow that's bid up the value of the housing stock.
December 9, 2024 at 11:46 AM
I'm in the 'build more houses' camp. But it's still worth pointing out that real house prices peaked in 2007, which was also the time when household debt relative to income peaked. Supply is a problem, but it's access to credit and willingness to borrow that's bid up the value of the housing stock.
Reposted by Eddie Millar
For the planning fans. The ‘modernising planning committees’ policy paper has been published:
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
December 9, 2024 at 11:28 AM
For the planning fans. The ‘modernising planning committees’ policy paper has been published:
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Reposted by Eddie Millar
This is an interesting and significant contribution to the debate around high-rise housing:
www.high-rise-housing.co.uk/uploads/5/0/...
www.high-rise-housing.co.uk/uploads/5/0/...
www.high-rise-housing.co.uk
December 9, 2024 at 9:05 AM
This is an interesting and significant contribution to the debate around high-rise housing:
www.high-rise-housing.co.uk/uploads/5/0/...
www.high-rise-housing.co.uk/uploads/5/0/...
It's tempting to look at e.g. Japan and see how their planning/development system functions and think we can simply replicate that here - it's not quite that easy, for numerous reasons, and a poor imitation of Japan's system is probably worse than a functioning version of what we've got.
Well-intentioned but totally misses the point by focusing on zoning vs. discretionary - a symptom of think-tank brain. A functional discretionary system can contain elements of zoning (design codes, Local Plans even!) while retaining flexibility. The issue is that our system is not functional...
This is how Labour can defeat nimbyism
December 7, 2024 at 2:38 PM
It's tempting to look at e.g. Japan and see how their planning/development system functions and think we can simply replicate that here - it's not quite that easy, for numerous reasons, and a poor imitation of Japan's system is probably worse than a functioning version of what we've got.
Well-intentioned but totally misses the point by focusing on zoning vs. discretionary - a symptom of think-tank brain. A functional discretionary system can contain elements of zoning (design codes, Local Plans even!) while retaining flexibility. The issue is that our system is not functional...
This is how Labour can defeat nimbyism
Starmer can defeat the Nimbys – here’s how
The current "discretionary planning system" is the source of the housing shortage.
www.newstatesman.com
December 7, 2024 at 2:29 PM
Well-intentioned but totally misses the point by focusing on zoning vs. discretionary - a symptom of think-tank brain. A functional discretionary system can contain elements of zoning (design codes, Local Plans even!) while retaining flexibility. The issue is that our system is not functional...
Reposted by Eddie Millar
Courtesy of the English Private Landlord Survey out this morning - annual reminder that although there are landlords with Buy to Let mortgages that will be facing higher costs due to interest rate rises, over 40% of landlords have no borrowing of any kind on any of their properties.
December 5, 2024 at 9:54 AM
Courtesy of the English Private Landlord Survey out this morning - annual reminder that although there are landlords with Buy to Let mortgages that will be facing higher costs due to interest rate rises, over 40% of landlords have no borrowing of any kind on any of their properties.
It's clear to anyone involved in the built environment that the planning system can do engagement better.
This report asks how we can encourage people to actually view planning as a positive thing - don't just make it a binary yes/no, and make the options clear and accessible.
This report asks how we can encourage people to actually view planning as a positive thing - don't just make it a binary yes/no, and make the options clear and accessible.
How can we find out where local communities would support house building, not just where they oppose it?
Fantasy Football might have the answer.
I’ve written this paper for @adamsmith.org explaining why.
Fantasy Football might have the answer.
I’ve written this paper for @adamsmith.org explaining why.
Could treating local planning like Fantasy Football defeat the NIMBYs?
Click the link below to find out how a Fantasy Football-style platform for Local Plans would give communities more choices over where homes are built, boosting house-building.
https://buff.ly/3B67tJw
Click the link below to find out how a Fantasy Football-style platform for Local Plans would give communities more choices over where homes are built, boosting house-building.
https://buff.ly/3B67tJw
November 29, 2024 at 1:50 PM
It's clear to anyone involved in the built environment that the planning system can do engagement better.
This report asks how we can encourage people to actually view planning as a positive thing - don't just make it a binary yes/no, and make the options clear and accessible.
This report asks how we can encourage people to actually view planning as a positive thing - don't just make it a binary yes/no, and make the options clear and accessible.
Well worth a read. Focus largely on macro policy but provides a jumping off point to ask important questions about planning's role in allocating sites for housing and public housebuilding, as well as how we decide where building happens 🧵
🏠 How do we fix the housing crisis?
Ensuring decent & secure homes for all starts with knowing how we own, invest & access housing.
To launch our new housing programme, @chrismwhayes argues expanding supply is key — but the market alone will not suffice.
www.common-wealth.org/publications...
Ensuring decent & secure homes for all starts with knowing how we own, invest & access housing.
To launch our new housing programme, @chrismwhayes argues expanding supply is key — but the market alone will not suffice.
www.common-wealth.org/publications...
The Antisocial Contract | Briefing | Common Wealth
Reliance on speculative private developers and market coordination will neither deliver the scale of housebuilding needed to tackle the crisis, nor address its acute distributional dimension. Both obj...
www.common-wealth.org
November 29, 2024 at 12:59 PM
Well worth a read. Focus largely on macro policy but provides a jumping off point to ask important questions about planning's role in allocating sites for housing and public housebuilding, as well as how we decide where building happens 🧵
Reposted by Eddie Millar
As one of the richest and most resource abundant countries in the world Australia should not accept the normalisation of low quality apartments as a solution to the housing crisis
Sophie-May Kerr and I write for the Fifth Estate
thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spin...
Sophie-May Kerr and I write for the Fifth Estate
thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spin...
Lower building standards not the solution to Sydney’s housing crisis
Sophie-May Kerr and and Philip Oldfield lay out why the weakening of design standards would result in poor-quality, uncomfortable homes that would be detrimental to the future of our cities.
thefifthestate.com.au
November 29, 2024 at 7:52 AM
As one of the richest and most resource abundant countries in the world Australia should not accept the normalisation of low quality apartments as a solution to the housing crisis
Sophie-May Kerr and I write for the Fifth Estate
thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spin...
Sophie-May Kerr and I write for the Fifth Estate
thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spin...
Reposted by Eddie Millar
National Landscapes - until recently called AONBs - told to expect 12% cut in budgets from Defra
If the Govt is to meet its 30x30 pledge on nature recovery, there’s no credible route without boosting powers & budgets for National Parks & National Landscapes:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
If the Govt is to meet its 30x30 pledge on nature recovery, there’s no credible route without boosting powers & budgets for National Parks & National Landscapes:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
Defra cuts pose ‘existential threat’ to England’s most beautiful areas
Exclusive: National landscapes’ chiefs say environment secretary has given no budget assurances and they are to expect cuts
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2024 at 4:40 PM
National Landscapes - until recently called AONBs - told to expect 12% cut in budgets from Defra
If the Govt is to meet its 30x30 pledge on nature recovery, there’s no credible route without boosting powers & budgets for National Parks & National Landscapes:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
If the Govt is to meet its 30x30 pledge on nature recovery, there’s no credible route without boosting powers & budgets for National Parks & National Landscapes:
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...