<p><strong>Party conference season</strong> <br>Housing and planning-related events at this year’s political party conferences centred on two main topics: affordable housing provision and environmental sustainability. The Social Market Foundation hosted fringe events at each of the conferences entitled Building the right foundations for social housing. Housing charity Shelter held a fringe event, Building hope – decent homes in decent neighbourhoods, at both the Liberal Democrat conference, which ended on September 20, and Labour conference, which ended on September 28. Housing minister Yvette Cooper spoke at the Labour party event. </p> <p>The all-party parliamentary group on homelessness and housing needs asked: What cost low cost housing? at both the Labour and Conservative conferences, with contributions from economic secretary to the Treasury Ed Balls and shadow Tory housing minister Michael Gove. Gove also spoke at a Policy Exchange and CABE event, Helping Britain’s have-nots on the housing ladder. The Tory party conference hosted a discussion entitled If not in my backyard, where should we be building houses?While on the Labour fringe, the Institute for Public Policy Research hosted Delivering housing fit for the 21st century, which included contributions from Cooper and designer Wayne Hemingway. </p> <p>At the Conservative party conference, shadow chancellor Vince …