Comments on: Opinion: “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore”

By: Paul Walter

Paul Walter — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:41:22 +0000

I feel a chorus of “The Land” coming on!

By: jockox3

jockox3 — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:50:44 +0000

Fran, I have a feeling from what you describe this may be Tony Benn’s previous attempt to do what the recently proposed “Planning Gain Supplement” was supposed to do. And I’m surprised, if it is that, that you say it worked. I was under the impression that it failed because land did not come forward (if it is what I am thinking about its failure was used in everyone’s campaign against PGS). I think that is different from Community Land Auctions personally which will really be aimed at land currently in a lower value use class wanting to achieve an uplift by rezoning.

By: Fran Oborski

Fran Oborski — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:03:57 +0000

Back in the dim and distant past, 1970′s I think there was an Act called the Community Land Act. Land zoned and released for housing was purchaesd by local authorities who then sold it on with planning permission so that the added value given by the granting of planning permission came to the community NOT to landowners!It worked so a Tory Govt abolished it!

By: Hywel Morgan

Hywel Morgan — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:17:28 +0000

“Buy land, they’re not making it anymore”

Apart from Dubai that is

By: tim leunig

tim leunig — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:17:14 +0000

I had nothing to do with the press release, which I only saw after another party member sent it.

The actual speech sets it out very well, although I can’t find the actual speech online.

I have written 500 words for LDV – hopefully they will appear soon. I have also posted a few comments on Iain Dale’s site.

By: jockox3

jockox3 — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:05:53 +0000

Maybe if Tim’s still reading this, were you involved in condensing the CLA idea down into two sentences for a press release note? If not, why on earth don’t we do that – get the inventor to describe his or her invention, with guidance for the non-media savvy if needed.

By: Letterman

Letterman — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:07:06 +0000

Dear Graeme,

I’m not a moron, I realise Ming didn’t write the policy himself – please try and grow a sense of humour. I agree with jock that some of the policy aspects have been badly explained – hopefully it wont come back to haunt us.

By: Jock

Jock — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:14:28 +0000

Indeed, the Community Land Auction idea was first raised by Tim Leunig and incorporated in the Housing Policy paper that was approved at spring conference 2005. Its restatement today is part of the run up to the release of the Poverty and Inequality paper in time for autumn conference this year which majors on lack of housing as a major factor in poverty.

I do agree, however, that the CLA proposal has been badly explained in the press release notes I’ve seen – was much better explained in the housing policy paper and I’m glad I focussed on this aspect of today’s announcement because it appears to be the bit getting the most stick from other commentators.

What the Tory commentators don’t realize, I don’t think, is that Michael Gove, I understand, is in favour of the Community Land Auction proposal as well!

By: Graeme

Graeme — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:08:54 +0000

Do you really think that Ming sat down and wrote this policy all on his own? Much as I’d love to think of him as a Goliath of policy-making, in reality all sorts of people (both volunteers and staff) contribute to developing policy and planning an announcement like this. Housing is a complicated issue. There’s no reason to think either the content or the presentation of it would have been markedly different under anyone else.

We’re not going to change leader – get used to it.

By: Letterman

Letterman — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:51:05 +0000

I’d never read about this in detail before, it seems fairly sensible but I’m not entirely convinced. Its definitely too complicated for ‘the media’ to get their heads around – the party should’ve handled it much better than it has… (*forgets to change the record*)… maybe by a different leader?

By: tim leunig

tim leunig — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:49:00 +0000

Well said Jock