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Why Britain doesn’t build - Works in Progress

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The history of attempts to reform planning in Britain is proof that political willpower is not enough: you need to be smart, not just brave.

Since the Second World War, housing in Britain has become increasingly expensive and scarce. Following a pre-war housing boom in the 1930s, during which decade more houses were built than ever before or since, between 1947 and 1955, Labour and Conservative governments enacted strict new planning rules controlling development. These rules gave local councils the power to block nearly all housebuilding, with little incentive to permit it. Following a brief grace period after the Second World War, Britain never managed to build enough homes. To address this, successive governments have tried to g

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