This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at unlocking the potential of independent water companies. New Appointments and Variations (NAVs) were introduced in 1991 as a way of increasing levels of competition in the water sector. They serve an important role in infrastructure development, connecting a fifth of new homes to...

This report from UK think tank IPPR argues that the objective should be to deliver high-quality housing that meets the needs of local communities and has the buy-in of local people. Land is a finite resource, and the demands made of it have only increased over time. Not only do we need to house and...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation Investigates ethnic inequalities in housing affordability. Britain, today, is a more plural country than ever before. The share of the population from a White British background in England and Wales stood at just under 75 per cent in 2021, down from over 87 per cent in...

This report from UK think tank IPPR recommends tackling child poverty by reforming welfare payments and building more social housing. As the government seeks to develop a new child poverty strategy, it will need to grapple with housing – the single largest cost faced by families. As the government seeks to develop a new child...

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society sets out how the government can address poor-quality housing in the social and private rented sector. Our home is supposed to be a place of safety and security. But for nearly 1.5 million households who rent in England, this is not the case. More than 800,000...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the British public’s level of trust in the net zero transition and in heat pumps in particular. Given ambitious net zero targets, the UK cannot afford to face a stronger 'greenlash'. In this report, we seek to understand the British public’s level of trust...

This report from UK think tank Localis examines the critical challenges facing local authorities in the South East and advocates for targeted strategies that align with the region’s unique needs. The South East of England, often perceived as a beacon of affluence and economic success, presents a paradoxical challenge to policymakers. Beneath its reputation as...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities investigates whether the current planning system has seen private housebuilding reach rates high enough to meet the new national target. Using newly available data on English housebuilding by local authority since 1946, digitised by Centre for Cities, this report investigates whether the current planning system has...

This report from UK think tank the Joseph Rowntree Foundation explores the enhanced risk of persistent very deep poverty among Bangladeshi, Black African and Pakistani households. Bangladeshi, Black African and Pakistani families are up to 5 times more likely to be living in severe poverty for a long time compared to white families in the...

This report from UK think tank the Adam Smith Institute proposes enhancing public engagement in the UK's planning system by adopting a model inspired by fantasy football. The Adam Smith Institute's report, "Popular Planning" by Paul Smith, proposes enhancing public engagement in the UK's planning system by adopting a model inspired by Fantasy Football. Currently,...

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics looks at low wellbeing in the UK in 2024. How is the UK doing? It is a question that is hard to answer. On the one hand, the UK remains one of the richest countries in the world and has enjoyed a prolonged period of peace...

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice looks at how to tackle loneliness through the built environment. This report shows how the government can tackle loneliness through the built environment, defined in this report as the man-made structures and features that viewed collectively, form the places in which people live. For...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation looks at the changing economic circumstances of the poorer half of Britain. This report marks the launch of Unsung Britain, a one-year research programme designed to understand the economic circumstances of today’s low-to-middle income families and how these have changed in recent decades, with support from...

This report from UK think tank IPPR calls for an end to the ineffective use of resources on unsuitable accommodation and proposes a reimagined approach to asylum housing. Asylum accommodation costs have soared in recent years, with billions of pounds being spent on housing people in inadequate conditions, which is both a waste of public...

This report from UK think tank New Local argues that the key to unlocking our fraught planning system is to give communities more power and influence to shape local development. Our country needs to build more. More houses are required to meet current and rising demand. High streets and town centres need regeneration. Our infrastructure...

Ideas for improving the reality of renting for the increasing numbers doing so. The government needs to look at improving security, conditions and affordability By Darren Baxter (IPPR) Over recent decades the private rented sector has grown substantially, more than doubling in twenty years to house 20 per cent of all households. Over that period,...