Housing: Quantity, Quality and Cost

If this isn’t a subject for our times, I don’t know what is. I hope you will be able to come to this early evening seminar in the pub.

 

We have the lingering Corvid crisis (impacts and costs); a war in Ukraine; and an energy crisis. But what we have also had for many years are fundamental problems with one of the basics of living, shelter. In other words housing.

 

Not enough; poor quality in many regards; and, cost (both capital and running costs). And, of course, the current prominent issues above have both compounded the problems regard housing, but also highlighted particular aspects, in particular energy provision.

 

In what has de facto become our annual planning debate in October (this year Wednesday 19th at the Parcel Yard, Leicester) we look at housing from three specific perspectives: quantity, quality and cost.

 

To do that we have three speakers who will each focus on one aspect, but with a nod to the others. So that in the ensuing debate: either immediately after the talks or in the bar later; hopefully relevant connections will be made between these related aspects.

 

Grant Butterworth (LCC Head of Planning) will look at the current debate of where the quantity of new housing required will go in the next 20 years in Leicestershire and how it will be split between the City and Districts.

 

Peter Brown (Director of Housing SGP) will look at the quality of the provision in place making terms.

 

Clare Bowman (Sustainability Adviser, Lecturer and winner RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 Designer Gold Medal Winner - The Biophilic Classroom) will look at the sustainability of the specific housing product, referencing the cost in both capital and operational terms.

 

All this should provoke a lively debate: if not it won’t be for the lack of trying!