The public want historic buildings to be the cornerstone of levelling up
In this article, Mike Crowhurst (Former No10, DCMS and Cabinet Office Special Adviser, now leading Public First’s work on levelling up) introduces the findings of a recent report commissioned by Historic England and produced by Public First, which explores the role of historic buildings, industrial heritage and historic parks in fostering civic pride […]
What we learnt…..and what’s next?
On 20th May 2022, the Centre for the New Midlands welcomed Eddie Hughes MP (Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing) to deliver its inaugural Housing and Communities Annual Lecture. In this article, Dominic Bradley (CEO, Spring Housing and Member of the Centre’s Housing and Communities Leadership Board) provides some reflections on the Minister’s […]
6 Months on from COP26: Conflating Crises and Navigating Opportunities
In this article, Dr Halima Sacranie (Chair of the Centre for the New Midlands Housing and Communities Leadership Board and Research Lead, Housing and Communities Research Group at the University of Birmingham) considers where we are six months on from COP26 as we manage our way through crises and seek to find the […]
Rough Sleeping is a regional problem, not a local one
Each Autumn, the Government provides an annual rough sleeping snapshot, which gives an overview of the estimated number of people sleeping rough in England on a single night between 1 October and 30 November, as well as some basic demographics details (age, gender, nationality). The data, which is collated by outreach workers, local charities and […]
How killing off council tax would deliver for voters in the West Midlands and beyond
It is widely accepted that we are currently in a ‘cost of living crisis’, triggered by the pandemic, rising energy prices and now, the war in Ukraine. It is also in March that the majority of households brace themselves for what they will be charged in Council Tax for the year ahead. In this […]
Can we stop house prices rising?
In this article, Dr Steve McCabe (Member of our Housing and Communities Leadership Board and Associate Professor, Birmingham City University) considers the role of rising house prices is exacerbating the UK’s housing crisis and what needs to happen to stop such increases if we are serious about fixing the ‘broken housing market’. […]
COMPETITION TIME!
WIN A COPY OF ‘STOP HOUSE PRICES RISING!: THE ESSENTIAL FIRST FIX FOR THE BROKEN HOUSING MARKET’ All you need to do is sign up for our monthly News and Views by 5pm on Friday 18th March 2022 to be in with a chance of winning one of five copies of the book (RRP […]
Levelling Up the United Kingdom
On 2nd February 2022, the Government released its ‘Levelling Up the United Kingdom’ White Paper. The White Paper set out the Government’s vision for how it will take the “radical steps needed to make us more prosperous and more united by tackling the regional and local inequalities that unfairly hold back communities and to encourage […]
CNM submission to LUHC inquiry
In January 2022, the Centre for the New Midlands submitted our first ‘formal’ response to a Government call for evidence. We are delighted to have responded to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee Inquiry into exempt accommodation which appealed for evidence following a wide range of stakeholders, including elected members from across the […]
The Business of Youth Service Investment
“Youth services, in their many guises, are a fantastic social investment capable of achieving not only morally desirable social outcomes, but greater economic returns for business, the exchequer and the West Midlands.” In this article, Tom McNeil (Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands) explains why. The Business of Youth Service Investment […]