Michael Gove and Tesco Homebase
There could hardly be a clearer indication of how this government's housing policy is working that, on the day that Michael Gove announced he was reducing housing targets for council's that might have required them to build in the Green Belt, he overruled his own Planning Inspector to give permission for Berkeley's Tesco Homebase scheme. Green belt is not necessarily unspoilt open space and can include land which is totally suitable for development but people in the Home Counties don't want new homes built in their area. The Conservatives are under pressure in these 'blue wall' seats and are desperate to placate voters. This means that London will have to do all the heavy lifting for the government to be able to claim any progress on housing starts. That explains why Gove decided to ignore advice and the objections of thousands of local people and English Heritage and Kew Gardens and force through these huge out-of-place buildings.
Jeremy Parkinson ● 461d15 Comments