Smart Growth UK
@smartgrowthuk.bsky.social
There's something deeply wrong with a Government that whips 102 (mostly elderly) peers to vote against an amendment at 11pm on an utterly innocuous conservation measure.
Serious questions now need to be asked as to why ministers are taking orders from the house building industry.
Serious questions now need to be asked as to why ministers are taking orders from the house building industry.
November 4, 2025 at 7:20 PM
There's something deeply wrong with a Government that whips 102 (mostly elderly) peers to vote against an amendment at 11pm on an utterly innocuous conservation measure.
Serious questions now need to be asked as to why ministers are taking orders from the house building industry.
Serious questions now need to be asked as to why ministers are taking orders from the house building industry.
But it's clear the "blockers" to a sustainable future include those in government blocking environmental approaches to development.
Keir Starmer needs a basic rethink of his economic and planning policies. The 1980s #CarDependentSprawl policies he is pursuing will achieve nothing but destruction.
Keir Starmer needs a basic rethink of his economic and planning policies. The 1980s #CarDependentSprawl policies he is pursuing will achieve nothing but destruction.
October 14, 2025 at 1:37 PM
But it's clear the "blockers" to a sustainable future include those in government blocking environmental approaches to development.
Keir Starmer needs a basic rethink of his economic and planning policies. The 1980s #CarDependentSprawl policies he is pursuing will achieve nothing but destruction.
Keir Starmer needs a basic rethink of his economic and planning policies. The 1980s #CarDependentSprawl policies he is pursuing will achieve nothing but destruction.
While you're pondering, don't forget that new towns are invariably the slowest, costliest and most destructive way of doing major development.
tinyurl.com/2bjv45t3
tinyurl.com/2bjv45t3
September 23, 2025 at 9:34 AM
While you're pondering, don't forget that new towns are invariably the slowest, costliest and most destructive way of doing major development.
tinyurl.com/2bjv45t3
tinyurl.com/2bjv45t3
BLOG New towns are being peddled as an answer to urban sprawl by providing an alternative to today's #CowpatEstates. But they really aren't; they're simply a long-term way of adding to greenfield development.
tinyurl.com/24hhazne
tinyurl.com/24hhazne
August 29, 2025 at 11:04 AM
BLOG New towns are being peddled as an answer to urban sprawl by providing an alternative to today's #CowpatEstates. But they really aren't; they're simply a long-term way of adding to greenfield development.
tinyurl.com/24hhazne
tinyurl.com/24hhazne
Our new report explains why new towns have always been slow to build, costlier than other major developments and environmentally destructive.
tinyurl.com/2bjv45t3
tinyurl.com/2bjv45t3
August 22, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Our new report explains why new towns have always been slow to build, costlier than other major developments and environmentally destructive.
tinyurl.com/2bjv45t3
tinyurl.com/2bjv45t3
What's morally reprehensible is pursuing destruction of the planning system for #CarDependentSprawl, destroying land vital for #FoodSecurity, #WaterSecurity, drainage, flood-control, biodiversity + increasing greenhouse gas emissions into the bargain.
Poverty needs #SocialRent homes, not sprawl.
Poverty needs #SocialRent homes, not sprawl.
June 8, 2025 at 8:18 AM
What's morally reprehensible is pursuing destruction of the planning system for #CarDependentSprawl, destroying land vital for #FoodSecurity, #WaterSecurity, drainage, flood-control, biodiversity + increasing greenhouse gas emissions into the bargain.
Poverty needs #SocialRent homes, not sprawl.
Poverty needs #SocialRent homes, not sprawl.
A question the Prime Minister needs to be asked is, who is the "us" in this context?
April 6, 2025 at 1:12 PM
A question the Prime Minister needs to be asked is, who is the "us" in this context?
From another place:
April 2, 2025 at 9:41 AM
From another place:
How democracies die - via enrichment of house builders.
March 10, 2025 at 10:42 AM
How democracies die - via enrichment of house builders.
"Why should the devil have all the best tunes?"
- William Booth.
Why indeed?
(From "another" platform):-
- William Booth.
Why indeed?
(From "another" platform):-
February 23, 2025 at 10:58 AM
"Why should the devil have all the best tunes?"
- William Booth.
Why indeed?
(From "another" platform):-
- William Booth.
Why indeed?
(From "another" platform):-
And while we're looking at why the "Oxford-Cambridge Arc" is a very bad place for accelerated development, here's a map of places with (currently) a 1% chance of river flooding or a 0.5% of sea flooding every year.
February 10, 2025 at 12:10 PM
And while we're looking at why the "Oxford-Cambridge Arc" is a very bad place for accelerated development, here's a map of places with (currently) a 1% chance of river flooding or a 0.5% of sea flooding every year.
Attention all advocates of the "Oxford-Cambridge Arc":
A map of areas where new housing targets pose water scarcity issues. 1/
A map of areas where new housing targets pose water scarcity issues. 1/
February 10, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Attention all advocates of the "Oxford-Cambridge Arc":
A map of areas where new housing targets pose water scarcity issues. 1/
A map of areas where new housing targets pose water scarcity issues. 1/
Today's reminder for those who argue that "solar farms" are compatible with protecting #FoodSecurity
February 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Today's reminder for those who argue that "solar farms" are compatible with protecting #FoodSecurity
February 5, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Interesting to see the Government's five objectives in its land use consultation for "delivery of a fair land use transition" make no mention of:
- water security
- drainage & flood control
- sea defence
- transport
- landscape
- protection of existing nature
- outdoor leisure
- heritage
- water security
- drainage & flood control
- sea defence
- transport
- landscape
- protection of existing nature
- outdoor leisure
- heritage
January 31, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Interesting to see the Government's five objectives in its land use consultation for "delivery of a fair land use transition" make no mention of:
- water security
- drainage & flood control
- sea defence
- transport
- landscape
- protection of existing nature
- outdoor leisure
- heritage
- water security
- drainage & flood control
- sea defence
- transport
- landscape
- protection of existing nature
- outdoor leisure
- heritage
Apparently not.
January 30, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Apparently not.
You don't put ends to years of stagnation by reviving long discredited ideas like airport expansion, the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, green belt development or smashing up planning to increase the destructive rate of #CarDependentSprawl.
You do it by new thinking.
You do it by new thinking.
January 29, 2025 at 8:55 PM
You don't put ends to years of stagnation by reviving long discredited ideas like airport expansion, the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, green belt development or smashing up planning to increase the destructive rate of #CarDependentSprawl.
You do it by new thinking.
You do it by new thinking.
Rachel Reeves' new enthusiasm for "zoning" in planning is straight out of the neoliberal think-tanks' songbook.
Worth reminding her that no-one voted for this and a Government which secured two-thirds of the MPs on the back of one-third of the vote doesn't have a mandate for this.
Worth reminding her that no-one voted for this and a Government which secured two-thirds of the MPs on the back of one-third of the vote doesn't have a mandate for this.
January 27, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Rachel Reeves' new enthusiasm for "zoning" in planning is straight out of the neoliberal think-tanks' songbook.
Worth reminding her that no-one voted for this and a Government which secured two-thirds of the MPs on the back of one-third of the vote doesn't have a mandate for this.
Worth reminding her that no-one voted for this and a Government which secured two-thirds of the MPs on the back of one-third of the vote doesn't have a mandate for this.
Today's reminder that Kipling's words are as relevant as ever for sustainable development campaigners in the face of the blizzard of destructive policy pouring out of central government:-
January 27, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Today's reminder that Kipling's words are as relevant as ever for sustainable development campaigners in the face of the blizzard of destructive policy pouring out of central government:-
Caption competition.
January 24, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Caption competition.
And we're Not Interested in More Baseless Yarns.
The truth is we need action to prevent yimbys and zealots undermining the action for a sustainable future which is becoming ever more necessary.
What we don't need is absurd 1980s visions of "growth".
The truth is we need action to prevent yimbys and zealots undermining the action for a sustainable future which is becoming ever more necessary.
What we don't need is absurd 1980s visions of "growth".
January 24, 2025 at 10:02 AM
And we're Not Interested in More Baseless Yarns.
The truth is we need action to prevent yimbys and zealots undermining the action for a sustainable future which is becoming ever more necessary.
What we don't need is absurd 1980s visions of "growth".
The truth is we need action to prevent yimbys and zealots undermining the action for a sustainable future which is becoming ever more necessary.
What we don't need is absurd 1980s visions of "growth".
The Commons Environmental Audit Committee has published the @smartgrowthuk.bsky.social evidence to its inquiry on environmental sustainability and housing growth.
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...
January 18, 2025 at 11:18 AM
The Commons Environmental Audit Committee has published the @smartgrowthuk.bsky.social evidence to its inquiry on environmental sustainability and housing growth.
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...
