Q&A with Leeds’ Tom Riordan – Local govt is under-funded and over-tasked

Whitehall sign-off is required before the city council can trigger the programme to invest in community assets and home improvements, now rubber-stamped by the LCC executive.

Charged with making a shortlist of ideal locations for these new communities within a year, the taskforce is set to have its first meeting in September.

The new government’s ambition was welcomed, but the built environment is ready for a little less conversation and a little more action, please. That was the overruling sentiment from built environment professionals from across the North.

Councils and combined authorities alike have been setting out their stall as Sir Keir Starmer’s top team prepare for the state opening of Parliament this week.

Views are now being sought on proposals for phase one of the West Yorkshire Mass Transit network, with options for the Leeds- Bradford route and a route to White Rose centre on the table.

Describing the current system as a “graveyard of economic ambition”, the chancellor said planning reform was at the centre of Labour’s strategy going forward.

Angela Rayner has been appointed the secretary of state for the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, while Matthew Pennycook is the new housing minister.

After a tumultuous few years, the property and development industry is calling on Labour to provide the stability it has long-craved, thaw the “frozen” market, and make good on its pledge to breathe new life into the housing sector.

With more than 400 seats in Parliament, Keir Starmer’s party has a clear mandate for its manifesto. So what can the built environment expect from our new government?