every epstein file drop underscores how elite power operates through shared socio-economic networks, regardless of people's ideological differences, populist posturing, or public feuds

“Single-family rentals now account for 40% of all investment in the booming build-to-rent sector.” Read Adam Almeida in @theguardian.com on how the build-to-rent sector is changing — while the public still lose out to institutional investors. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

'Communities must have the right to own environmental assets' Great letter from @tomchance.bsky.social of the Community Land Trust Network to @miattafahnbulleh.bsky.social, asking her to amend the Devolution Bill to strengthen Community Right to Buy: www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Delighted to say I have won gold at the National Community Radio Awards for The Saxonvale Saga, broadcast on @fromefm.bsky.social.

Here's our latest podacst: Somerset Spotlight - No 5 Anna Sabine, MP for Frome and East Somerset talks to Sam Saunders (Fome FM) and Andrew Lee (Somerset Confidential). somersetconfidential.substack.com/p/somerset-s...

Happy to announce that I am a finalist for the 2025 National Community Radio Awards for The #Saxonvale Saga', broadcast on #FromeFM and nominated in the News, Journalism & Factual Storytelling of the Year category. The awards ceremony is in Bradford on the 25th October. Fingers crossed. #CRAs2025

@somersetconf.bsky.social and I had a great chat with @somersetcouncil.bsky.social Cllr Theo Butt Philip, lead member for transformation, first broadcast on #FromeFM. In it we we cover: -Theo's background in local politics in Somerset. \/ 1/3 somersetconfidential.substack.com/p/somerset-s...

'Redruth Revival’s development strategy was not driven by short-term commercial gain, but instead by a self-imposed mandate to assist with supporting long-term community resilience.' > and they've delivered something rather special. architecturetoday.co.uk/the-butterma... @archhfund.org.uk

I find local government fascinating. Underreported on at best, ignored at worst, yet it has a central role in two of the biggest crises facing the UK: housing and social care. Questions about democracy, accountability and transparency are just as pertinent at this layer of government.

"Community-led development has been bubbling up for decades. I'm firmly convinced it's the answer to the UK's housing crisis. It's huge for Frome. But this is a moment of consequence for the whole country." youtu.be/Go3DdslosdY

Today the Chancellor is talking about growth. We've joined forces with leaders locally and nationally to make a clear call to back community ownership and drive growth people can see and feel in their local area. Read our letter 🖊️ https://buff.ly/40O3GdP

New data from @cmmonwealth.bsky.social shows more support for energy projects if they are community-owned. The Local Power Plan should drive a community-owned clean energy revolution, creating new jobs, income, and lower energy costs for local people. www.common-wealth.org/publications...

Now Mayday can buy the site the exciting stuff can happen...test casing a new way of doing development at scale...community-led and first.

1. There are many things I’m glad to leave behind on X, but most of them come down to this: loyalism. Regardless of ideology, those who tend to be most abusive, unpleasant and vicious are staunch loyalists of particular figures, factions or policies. 🧵

This is probably the most important domestic political story at the moment. Gilt yields being this high is going to kill the already shaky public finances. It risks making an already difficult spending review impossible.

#Council's in the last decade were able to, and were encouraged, to borrow unlimited money from the #Treasury through the Public Works Loans Board to make investments. Imagine if they were allowed to borrow that money to build new social housing...

1/ Councils through Section 106 can make developers build affordable homes on a development which are then sold to Housing Associations (HAs) for social rent. Such deals have been the single largest method of affordable housing delivery in England since 2015.

Bring it on. Pollute your platforms to unusability. Kill Instagram and Facebook. They don't make us happy, hari kari and be done with it all.

These letter-writers show how our imaginations are still in chains when it comes to community ownership. A Scottish-style Community Right to Buy is about buying up *private* land & buildings, and making them community assets. Not transferring public assets. www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Glorious early colour footage of English farming before mechanisation; you get a sense of how many people still worked in the fields during harvest time less than a century ago. 'English Harvest', 1938 www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyz...

It will be interesting to see if Com Right To Buy will extend to land, as the white paper references smaller scale acquisitions (like buildings) only, AFAIK.

CAMPAIGN WIN! Since our launch, we’ve campaigned for a Community Right to Buy. Today, the Government has committed to implementing this policy. 🥳 Well done to everyone involved in the campaign. This is the beginning of a community power moment! www.right-here.org/devolution-w...

An excellent argument for why communities should seek to enhance rather than reduce their power within the planning system. "by opening out the planning process to enable more and deeper community involvement, it is possible to build consensus rather than create opposition"

Local Government Audit is in Crisis - Just 1% of local bodies published audited accounts on time for the 2022/23 financial year. - The backlog prompted the NAO last month to refuse to sign off the Government’s spending for the first time in history 🧵 1/6 open.substack.com/pub/samuelsa...

2019: a report led by @georgemonbiot.bsky.social,commissioned by the Labour party, argued for changes in the way land is used and controlled in the UK. With the upcoming devolution white paper and reform of NPPF, I'll highlight some of the recommendations, more important now than ever. 🧵

Great stuff from Andy Haldane in the @financialtimes.com. Whether at a neighbourhood level or the nation state, we need to rediscover the importance of #socialcapital www.ft.com/content/97c1...

It’s not NIMBYs preventing new development – it’s a system that creates conflict by design. Our new report argues that meaningful community engagement can reduce opposition, speed up development & create thriving, liveable places. 🔗

Does HS2 have a future? And why does that question hinge on an unseen government document and a sugar mill in Nottinghamshire?

🚗What's happening to Europe's car industry is one of the biggest stories in the world right now, & prob the biggest story of next year too. A slow motion implosion driven by multiple factors (esp Chinese competition). Watch my primer on what's going on👇 youtu.be/oW_SXIVQT5I?...

Low-carbon tech, housing, sustainable agriculture and nature-recovery can be delivered together with intelligent planning. Here's hoping for a land use framework that: 🎄allocates space for nature 🎄links to planning decisions & incentives 🎄pools developer funds for nature.

How much? Exactly how much farmland has been lost in #Somerset. @SomersetCouncil has no idea so we thought we'd take a look.... somerset.substack.com/p/how-much

Once again Section 123 is used by #Somerset Council to justify selling land to developers rather than the community in #Frome. If the council has no choice, due to the risk of legal challenge, the law should change to favour community benefit over profit. www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerse...

In #Frome, #Somerset, a not-for-profit is close to becoming the first #community-led development at masterplan level. The mixed-use development of the 12 acre #brownfield site could become a new model for communities across the country. shows.acast.com/66a2308999c0...

The forthcoming English #devolution white paper will include a "strong new right to buy for valued community assets, which will help local people to acquire valued community spaces when they come up for sale, keeping them in the hands of the local community".

#Somerset Council leader Bill Revans is writing to the local government minister to "explore the case" for increasing council tax past the referendum limit. Somerset asked the previous government for an "unprecedented" 10% rise in council tax for 2024-25 in January but this request was refused. 1/2