Policy Exchange

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• Think-tank: ease planning rules to help northern cities grow

  14 February 2013

  Planning magazine covers Policy Exchange's recent event 'Creating conditions for regional growth' with Lord Heseltine. Deputy Director David Skelton is quoted making the case for loosening green belts around northern cities in order to help them expand - our report Cities for Growth found that restrictive planning rules have made office space in Manchester more expensive than in Manhattan.

• How we can make our new garden cities grow

  04 December 2012

  Policy Exchange trustee Lord Wolfson sets out the need for more Garden Cities in an opinion piece in The Times. Policy Exchange made a series of recommendations for the construction of new Garden Cities in 2011 report Cities for Growth.

• Architects urge use of £10bn council pension funds to build 6m homes

  26 October 2012

  The Guardian cites Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth, which shows that 69% of people said the quality of homes in their area was more important than the quantity, in an article discussing new research by the Royal Institute of British Architects setting out plans to build more good quality homes.

• Stormed at with shot and shell, Nick Boles rides into planning's Valley of Death

  11 September 2012

  ConservativeHome cites Policy Exchange's report Cities for Growth, which points out that most of the green belt is is intensively farmed land rather than an area of outstanding natural beauty.

• Housing - why planning powers should be reshuffled to local people and a new Secretary of State

  01 September 2012

  Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning Alex Morton sets out recommendations from his Policy Exchange research that would see kickstart housebuilding levels and calls for the creation of a new Department for Housing & Planning.

• Planning reform is one of the very few growth strategies that Britain has left

  28 August 2012

  The Daily Telegraph's Jeremy Warner cites the argument from Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth that the problem with the UK housing market is the lack of land with planning permission in areas where people want to live.

• The housing crisis: a nightmare caused by our sanctified suburban dreams

  20 August 2012

  In an article for The Guardian on the green belt, Ian Birrell cites findings from Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth that 22 Hyde Park's worth of front gardens in London have been concreted over for other purposes due to the restrictions in housing density caused by the green belt.

• Alex Morton on The World This Weekend

  19 August 2012

  Alex Morton, Policy Exchange's Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning, debates building on the green belt - the subject of his report Cities for Growth - with Shaun Spiers of the CPRE. Alex argues that planning policies are condemning Britons to increasingly cramped conditions and depriving the younger generations of homes of their own.

• The green belt isn’t as green and pleasant as you’d think

  17 August 2012

  The Spectator cites research from Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth that 60% of green belt land is used for intensive farming, and that because of the restrictions green belt place on cities, 22 Hyde Parks worth of front gardens have been concreted for other purposes.

• The Olympics teach us (among other things) that Britain isn't meritocratic enough

  09 August 2012

  Policy Exchange Director Neil O'Brien draws six lessons from the Olympic Games, including that Britain actually can successfully conduct big projects, should focus on 'victory through specialisation' and embrace elitism and meritocracy.

• Is London sucking the life out of Yorkshire?

  01 August 2012

  Policy Exchange Director Neil O'Brien looks at the problems facing Yorkshire and gives examples on how it could improve itself to counteract the gravitational pull of London on graduates and industry. Suggestions include growing Leeds using lessons from Manchester, luring the best academy school chains, reforming the planning system and changing national pay bargaining to a more local level.

• Can we make the economy grow faster?

  26 July 2012

  Policy Exchange Director Neil O'Brien calls for reform of the planning system to boost the economy. He argues that reforms suggested in report Cities for Growth and More Homes: Fewer Empty Buildings would create a more flexible planning system, reduce the cost of housing, and provide a huge boost to the economy.

• The blue sheep of the family

  10 May 2012

  David Skelton, Policy Exchange's Deputy Director, is interviewed by the Northern Echo. He calls for implementation of recommendations on planning policy from report Cities for Growth in Consett, his home town, a system of local pay bargaining and makes the argument from Northern Lights that the Conservatives need to appeal to aspirational working-class voters in the North if they wish to win another election.

• Should we build on the green belt?

  03 May 2012

  Alex Morton, Policy Exchange's Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning, takes part in a debate in The Times on whether we should build on the green belt. He makes the case from Cities for Growth that most green belt is intensive farmland and that high quality suburban development would be a social, environmental and economic improvement.

• The National Planning Policy Framework changes nothing

  28 March 2012

  Alex Morton, Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning, provides a detailed analysis of the problems with the planning system - and their consequences - and cites solutions from Cities for Growth, before slamming the NPPF for its failure to change the system.

• Alex Morton on Radio Five Live

  26 March 2012

  Alex Morton, Senior Researcher for Housing & Planning at Policy Exchange, appears on Radio Five Live to debate the government's proposed planning reforms. Alex argues that the reforms will change very little and makes the case from Cities for Growth that green belt space needs to be developed to solve our housing crisis.

• Budget 2012: Osborne is right about the planning system, but will he really change it?

  21 March 2012

  Following the announcement in the Budget that the government will allow the creation of more Garden Cities (as recommended in Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth), Director Neil O'Brien writes outlining the advantages of such Cities, and calls for the Chancellor to make radical reforms to the wider planning system.

• Garden City Blues

  20 March 2012

  Inside Housing notes the success Alex Morton, Policy Exchange's Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning, has had influencing government housing policy, with many of the recommendations from Making Housing Affordable having been implemented and David Cameron himself embracing the proposal from Cities for Growth to build more Garden Cities.

• If we want smaller government, we will have to think big

  09 March 2012

  Policy Exchange Director Neil O'Brien sets out 12 big things the government can do to reduce public expenditure by helping growth, making government more efficient and reducing dependency on the state. He draws on recommendations from a plethora of Policy Exchange reports.

• Growth and quality of life begins at home

  06 March 2012

  Alex Morton, Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning, writes criticising the policy of lending money to homebuyers rather than building more homes and calls for the Chancellor to create a five-year strategy to re-engineer the planning system.

• Compassionate Conservatives find it's time to think again

  06 March 2012

  The Guardian highlights Policy Exchange's 10th birthday, calling us the most influential thinktank in Britain, and citing our past successes as well as our future policy plans such as ending national pay bargaining and moving child poverty measures to a 'causes of poverty' target.

• Is it over for 'vote Blue, go Green' as guru exits?

  04 March 2012

  The Independent on Sunday claims that recommendations from Policy Exchange's report Cities for Growth for implementing a more flexible planning system and allowing local people to have more of a say in planning decisions are being considered by the Treasury. Policy Exchange Director Neil O'Brien is also quoted pressing for an increase in the provision of affordable housing to improve growth of the UK's economy.

• Alex Morton on BBC Radio Surrey

  23 February 2012

  Alex Morton, Senior Research Fellow for Housing and Planning, appears on  BBC Radio Surrey arguing against the current planning system. He makes the case from Cities for Growth advocating that more power should be given to the local people to decide whether or not development takes place.

• Housing stagnation is unsurprising

  16 February 2012

  Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning Alex Morton criticises the UK’s planning system for stunting the level and quality of housing construction.

• 'Development is a good opportunity'

  03 January 2012

  The Oxford Mail refers to recommendations from Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth that development should allowed on land currently classed as green belt in order to ease Britain's housing crisis.

• Neil O'Brien on the Today Programme

  14 December 2011

  Policy Exchange Director Neil O'Brien takes part in a debate on the Today Programme on unemployment in the UK, making the case from report Personalised Welfare for more specifically tailored job-search support for jobseekers.

• Guardian Focus podcast: the housing crisis

  25 November 2011

  Alex Morton, Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning, discusses the government's housing strategy on a Guardian podcast.

• Report in call for building on Green Belt land

  24 November 2011

  The Oxford Mail reports on report Cities for Growth, focusing on the report's argument that Green Belt land is mostly farmland rather than idyllic meadows and nature reserves and that development should be allowed there if local residents approve.

• The News Matrix: Wednesday 23 November 2011

  23 November 2011

  The Independent includes the launch of Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth in its daily newswire, citing the report's recommendation that more housing should be built on green belt land as there are not enough brownfield sites to fill housing demand.

• Our economy and housing supply are being held back by planning: Liberalise now

  23 November 2011

  Alex Morton, Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning at Policy Exchange, writes in City A.M. highlighting how planning laws have created our housing crisis and showing how reforms recommended in Cities for Growth can both end the crisis and provide a boost to the economy.

• Thinktank urges PM to relax planning laws

  23 November 2011

  Calls from latest Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth for planning reform to build new cities are reported by PoliticsHome.

• Green belt threatened by 'garden city' proposal

  23 November 2011

  politics.co.uk covers Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth, citing its recommendations for new 'Garden Cities' to be built near existing cities in order to boost the economy.

• Call for new towns on Green Belt

  23 November 2011

  The Independent covers Policy Exchange's latest report Cities for Growth, quoting author Alex Morton calling for the construction of new 'Garden Cities' that will allow for greater economic growth and better quality housing.

• Planning reform could boost economic growth - think tank

  23 November 2011

  Reuters reports on Cities for Growth, Policy Exchange's latest report, quoting Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning Alex Morton arguing that UK cities are stagnant and that allowing the expansion of cities will boost growth and productivity.

• Think-tank urges green belt changes

  23 November 2011

  Calls from Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth for new 'Garden Cities' to be built near existing cities are covered by the Press Association.

• Developers should be allowed to build cities on green belt to 'boost growth'

  23 November 2011

  The Daily Mail reports on Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth, quoting author Alex Morton arguing for the creation of new 'Garden Cities' and passing power over planning from local authorities directly to the people.

• Hands Off Our Land: Build on the green belt, says Cameron thinktank

  23 November 2011

  The Daily Telegraph extensively covers recommendations from Policy Exchange report Cities for Growth and quotes author Alex Morton criticising current planning laws that have led to too little and poor quality development.

• Hangover of housing boom

  23 November 2011

  The Yorkshire Post quotes Policy Exchange's Senior Research Fellow for Housing & Planning, Alex Morton, calling for reform of the planning system in order to resolve the housing crisis.

• Green Belt should be home to new cities

  23 November 2011

  Construction Enquirer covers Cities for Growth, Policy Exchange's latest report, citing the report's calls for planning restrictions on the green belt to be lifted so that popular suburban development can take place there.