So many budget bloggers, so little reading time

Here are some of the budget-related blogs I have read this week. None are intended to reflect my viewpoint, but all are relevant to my area of work in some way. I have always enjoyed the run up and reaction to budget day: miles of newsprint and days of airtime are devoted to the subject, [...]

Cheers to 2011. Here’s three aims for 2012

It doesn’t seems like six weeks since I blogged about my reflections on 2010, which contained some personally important landmarks in my life. I’d like to take a different approach this time and look forward to 2012 rather than spend a lot of time looking back on a year which – for all sorts of reasons – was tough, [...]

Housing hits the headlines

The publication of the housing strategy has led to some interesting headlines over the weekend, which I thought I’d share below. Notwithstanding the complexity of the issues around housing in this country, it’s interesting to see how different media treat the same information.  The Guardian played it straight on Friday with a piece setting out plans to use brownfield sites to [...]

Trust uses social media to highlight good work

I’ve blogged recently about a fantastic community-led project in High Bickington, Devon, where local people have come together and worked with partners to deliver the homes their village needs. This video which has been produced by funding partners shows the progress being made by members of the High Bickington Community Property Trust, who will manage [...]

Links I like 11.08.08

From valley to vale – Inside Housing This piece on housing delivery in Wales is the latest part of Inside Housing’s campaign to make better use of public land to accelerate housebuilding in the UK. The best bit, however, comes at the end where a reader asks if the article is available in Welsh. The editor makes good use of Google Translate before [...]

House prices hit home for Cornish MP

Cornwall’s house price problem hit the headlines again today, with news that local MP Stephen Gilbert can’t afford to buy a house in his constituency. Mr Gilbert, MP for St Austell and Newquay, put his PR skills to good use by using his own circumstances to highlight the problems faced by locals who have no hope of saving for a [...]

Is ‘self build’ the answer to our housing headache?

I remember the feeling as a reporter when I wrote about workers who were taking action over what they perceived to be bad wages, and would realise they were paid more than me. I’m reminded of this today when I hear of measures aimed at helping young families onto the housing ladder and the need [...]

High Bickington lauded as localism flagship

I blogged last month about an inspiring community-led scheme in High Bickington, Devon, which has brought villagers together to deliver badly needed housing and workspace for local people. I was delighted this morning to read the two-page write-up Planning magazine had devoted to the project, following a visit and some interviews organised at the site a [...]

Budget briefings leave little room for surprise

The media briefings orchestrated over the last few days left hardly any surprises to come out of George Osborne’s budget announcement this afternoon. Driving to work this morning, the country was treated to the news that first time buyers are going to be helped by a £250m fund which will help 10,000 people onto the housing ladder and give the [...]

Proof of the PR is in the coverage

I blogged this week about the HCA’s Cranbrook announcement and the importance of being ready to release the news as soon as plans for the first phase of work were approved by local councillors. Links to some of the positive online media coverage, which thankfully demonstrate that the effort was worthwhile, can be found here, here and here. I’m looking forward to getting the newspaper coverage tomorrow. [...]