Housing Market Intelligence Conference and Report Launch 2011

This year’s Housing Market Intelligence conference was as informative as ever, but with the added spice of a feisty exchange between industry representatives and the chief executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England Shaun Spiers over CPRE opposition to the new National Planning Policy Framework. HBF executive chairman Stewart Baseley, Redrow chairman Steve Morgan and HBF director of economics John Stewart were all critical of the CPRE stance, but Spiers held his own in the debate, calling for an opening up of dialogue and an end to the ongoing “war”. Conference chairman Imtiaz Farookhi, ceo of NHBC, kept the peace.

On the political side, Jake Berry, PPS to housing minister Grant Shapps, and new shadow housing minister Jack Dromey set out their respective positions and there were illuminating presentations from Sunday Times economics editor David Smith, Hometrack’s Richard Donnell, David Cowans of Places for People, Professor Michael Ball from the University of Reading and HBF planning director Andrew Whitaker.