Episode 2

full
Published on:

19th Nov 2024

What Needs to Change - Slough Borough Council

Slough could be a big part of solving London's housing challenge, its housing delivery team believes. "Positionally and spatially it's absolutely marvellous; in population terms it's marvellous,” says Exec Director Pat Hayes. “And there's huge development opportunity: places with cleared brownfield sites, lots of space in the town centre, a massive opportunity in the industrial estate around Heathrow. So everything is going for Slough and the challenge is why it hasn't quite happened, and what we need to do to make it happen."

Exactly.


That's why we visited one of the borough's stalled town centre sites, to see what needs to change for Slough to deliver more homes. We cover CPOs, inexpert landlords, government trust in councils, a new use class for affordable homes, more flexible grant funding, a restrictive regulatory framework and much more.


And if you'd like to share your own experiences of some of the issues raised, join our livestream on Friday 29th November 13:30-14:30 on Microsoft Teams. Find the sign up link on our socials:


Instagram- @1.5mnewhomes

Facebook- @1.5mnewhomes

LinkedIn- @1-5m-new-homes

TikTok- @1.5mnewhomes


Many thanks to our founding sponsors Red Loft.

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About the Podcast

1.5m New Homes
Asking what works and what doesn’t in getting new homes built
Each month at 1.5M New Homes, journalist and consultant Toby Fox will be visiting a different council in England to ask what works and what doesn’t in getting new homes built. He'll also be asking what it takes to build a career in public sector housing delivery.

About your host

Profile picture for Drew Toynbee

Drew Toynbee

Drew is a freelance content creator from the UK, creating audio and video content for audiobooks, podcasts, social media and documentaries for sectors from Weddings to the Space Industry.

When he's not working, you can find him spending time with his family and pets, doing DIY, watching movies, playing Dungeons & Dragons or videogames, or dabbling in a bit of music.

If you need a podcast editor or producer, find more information at drewtoynbee.com