Written by John Greenshields, Director, Digital and Data

“Build more bloody houses”.  “Get on with it”. “Don’t let ambition be dented by challenges”.

Some of the many positive, supportive, and restless quotes from a Labour Party Conference fringe programme that was dominated by built-environment growth.

There was profound agreement in Liverpool this year on the ‘why’ we need more homes and how much of a challenge it will be to deliver 1.5m homes over the next five years. This unity should not be underestimated: two Labour members can easily have three opinions and disagree on all of them.

It was striking how the party and talented array of experienced speakers came together around something so tangible and important.

For some this conference couldn’t come soon enough, but it came too soon for detailed plans of ‘how’ the new homes will be delivered.

There were MPs on most panels hearing an array of ideas, both broad and granular, on how to get things moving. One key takeaway was that after an election, more so in a year dominated by polls, people stop being voters and start being consumers of government services. There is also evidence to suggest that across a host of areas, appetite for ‘radical’ change is huge. It is with this mindset that the government will be taking on the planning system.

There was acknowledgement from politicians on panels that the housing crisis could also become a planning system crisis if nothing is done – never mind the supply chain there aren’t enough planners to make the decisions needed to deliver growth.

Whilst there is certainly cover in the political landscape to pursue a strategy to build these homes, there is not, yet, cover for getting the skills, finance and decision making capabilities to ensure the average target of 5,769 homes per week will be delivered.

In the trade, this is called pitch rolling. The principles of building homes, infrastructure, investing in clean technology, and renewing the electricity grid aren’t contentious for the Labour party. Never before have ‘above ground pylons’ received applause in the PMs speech.

What comes next is the decisions. The where, the what, and the how.

This is a Government restless to make a mark and hungry for change. This first flush of announcements, white papers, and reviews since the election is a pace setter for Starmer. He speaks of treading lightly, but he is expecting a heavy impact for his actions.

For the first time in a long, long time, the movement he leads is as one, and it is inspiring to witness.

Kanda Consulting provides integrated communications support for businesses in the built environment, helping them achieve their corporate goals and desired outcomes for sites. If your business, site, or project would benefit from our expertise, get in touch with us at: info@kandaconsulting.co.uk